Land of Enchantment
by yuru
Summary: Travel to the far east to a city cradled in paradise. There you will find an emperor in need of healing. When Haruno Sakura completes her first solo mission, did she expect to be pulled into a centuries old prophecy by falling in love?
1. When We Were Young

**DISCLAIMER: All characters DO NOT belong to me. **

**Here's my first attempt at a Naruto fic. Here's a warning, it's very Sakura-centric so if you dislike the little cherry blossom, I suggest you turn your attentions a different way, I won't tolerate flames. Thanks. Enjoy.**

**_LAND OF ENCHANTMENT_**

**Chapter One**

_When We Were Young_

I saw them for the first time for over seven years. They stumbled into Konoha, barely conscious and possibly bleeding to death. One had a splitting smile while the other had a blank expression that arose many unforgettable memories; memories that had long ago been locked away.

Crowds gathered around them; the infamous Uchiha who had gone missing years ago and the boy who had the kyuubi sealed within him. They looked much older and too mature for their nineteen years of age but then again, everyone who became a ninja matured faster than normal; that's the burden and the curse of taking on this life.

The fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sensei, made her way through the chattering crowd, followed closely by Shizune-san. You could already hear the whispers of multiple rumors passing through the clustered people as the boys stopped just inside the gates of Konoha.

As Tsunade-sensei halted in front of the two boys, a ghost of a smile lost upon the onlookers, everyone went completely silent so as to hear what she would say to the two ninjas who had gone missing seven years ago; one to gain power to avenge his family's death and the other to gain power to bring home his lost friend.

Naruto had left seven years ago with Jiraiya-san to train with the legendary Sannin but after two years, he had some how escaped Jiraiya's tutelage and disappeared. Jiraiya had made his way back to Konoha after months of searching and he had been severely pummeled by the Hokage herself for his terrible mistake. Apparently, he had been working on one of his perverted books and failed to notice Naruto's absence for two whole weeks. When he finally did realize that Naruto's annoying chatter was not to be heard, he immediately delved into his search but he found no traces at all of his young apprentice and so he was forced to run in a wild goose chase for several months before finally giving up.

Now, as I watched Naruto standing so near to his closest friend, I felt silly for not realizing sooner where Naruto would have went. Maybe I had always known and I was just too angry and jealous to confront it. I smiled slightly as I watched the blond boy and knew that _nothing_ could come between him and _Sasuke_.

_Sasuke._

_Sasuke._

Nothing. The giddy, bubbly, butterfly feeling that used to flutter in my tummy when I was twelve whenever Sasuke was around or whenever his name was mentioned was gone.

It should have been expected after all that I went through in those seven long years.

"Follow me." Tsunade's voice broke through my thoughts and I was able to catch the Hokage turn on her heels and start briskly walking back to her office. The crowd parted as she walked through them, Naruto following close behind with a lagging Sasuke. Both seemed to forget about their loss of blood and major injuries as concern for their future clouded their minds.

As the crowd began to disperse, I remained crouched on the rooftop that I had claimed the moment I sensed my old teammates' chakra approaching Konoha. A gentle breeze blew my way and I closed my eyes while inhaling deeply. When I opened my eyes again and looked down by the gate, no one was in sight except for the two gatekeepers in their little booth.

I stood up and stretched my arms above my head to get rid of all the strains from crouching in the same position for too long. I had gotten used to it though after long hours of surveillance during missions. With one last glance at the empty entrance, I transported myself to the Hokage's building in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

* * *

_"Haruno Sakura."_

_"Yes, sensei?"_

_"I'm sending you on a mission that will commence as of tonight."_

_"..."_

_"It's highly confidential and I want not one person to know of it's existence. You are to go alone tonight at 6:00pm and act as if you are on a simple solo mission. The time it will take is unknown but I've estimated that it will be a few years before you can see Konoha again."_

_"What's my objective, sensei?" _

_"It's written in that scroll Shizune gave you. Once you have read it, and memorized it word for word, burn it immediately. Do you understand?"_

_"..Hai."_

_"Very well then." Her voice went from professional to resigned in an instant, "Sakura-chan, I know you're only a chuunin and you have no experience in solo missions but I know you can do this. I believe you can become something great and this mission will help a lot. Keep this in mind though, this mission does not only concern you, or me, it concerns all of Konoha and you must do your best. I've taught you all I can in only four years, I know you're beyond capable to complete this mission." a small smile graced the Hokage's features as she looked upon her young apprentice._

_"Thank you, sensei. I'll try, no, I'll _do_ my best." she smiled back at the Hokage with sweet determination etched into her emerald orbs._

_Before turning to leave, a crease appeared between her pink brows as she looked back at Tsunade, "Sensei? Where am I going?"_

_Tsunade took a deep breath before whispering, "Saarik, land of magick."_

* * *

As I entered the Hokage's building, I was nearly floored by the uproar of it's daily workers. Everyone was rushing about in a flurry of blurred motion and oozing excitement. As I dodged bustling workers I managed to find Shizune in a panic, scrambling papers up on a random desk. 

I approached her with one delicate pink eyebrow raised and a smile on my face. I leaned on the desk as I let out a loud sigh.

"Shizune-san." No answer.

"Shizune-san?" I couldn't believe she couldn't hear me when I was right _there_.

"Shizune-san!"

Shizune let out a loud squeak as the papers in her hands flew into the air in her surprise.

"S-Sakura-chan! I'm so sorry! I was trying to get the papers and Tsunade is upstairs with a whole bunch of other jounin, oh and Naruto and _Sasuke _are back and this is going to cause an uproar and--"

"Shizune-san! Calm down and breathe. What papers are you talking about? I'll help you." I couldn't help but grin at Shizune's flustered state. You would think she would be more calm being a medic-nin and all but apparently she was worse when it didn't concern saving lives.

"Oh thank you so much, Sakura-chan! I was trying to find those papers that formalized punishments. Tsunade is always loosing things and then she expects me to find them quickly whenever they're needed urgently, like _now_!"

I calmly surveyed the surface of the mess and when I didn't see what I was looking for, I walked around and pulled open a drawer and after a second of shuffling through the papers in the drawer, I plucked out the needed papers and with a wide grin on my face, handed them to the astounded medic.

She pouted as she took the papers and then smiled fondly at me. Before she could utter a 'thank you,' a young man with short cropped brown hair rushed up to Shizune with a panicked look in his eyes.

"Shizune-san! You're needed down by the hospital! It's urgent!"

"Hai." Shizune looked at me with an apologetic look and I just smiled with a nod.

"I'll take the papers to Tsunade-sensei, Shizune-san. Don't worry."

"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan!" and without a second glance, Shizune disappeared in a whoosh of cool air.

I looked down at the papers and let a sigh pass from my lips, the outrageous noise from the office leaving my senses. Dread began to build up in my stomach as I thought of coming face to face with my former teammates. After a few seconds, I forced any thoughts of what was to come from my mind and hardened my features as I made my way to the stairs that led to Tsunade's office on the top floor.

* * *

Tsunade stared hard at the two young boys who had both disappeared from Konoha so many years ago. They were bleeding hard and she knew they were fighting hard not to faint from loss of blood but she refused to have them healed before she issued their punishment. She knew she was being stubborn and a little childish, no way a Hokage should be acting, but she couldn't help it; these boys had caused so many people so much pain and worry. 

Naruto still managed to smile broadly at her even though his knees were shaking from the mere effort of standing up. His clothes were different from what she remembered, despite being torn and dirty. It was now a darker orange with black going down the zipper. His hair looked more tame but still unkept. He was now taller than Tsunade and his features had matured into a young man. He had become very attractive, his eyes still a bright, jovial blue. His Konoha headband was still securely fastened around his forehead, though it looked a bit beaten up and scratched. He was still proud to be a ninja.

Tsunade almost smiled but then her eyes fell on the other newcomer.

He was everything Naruto wasn't. He had a brooding, blank expression on his features and his arms were crossed against his abdomen as he leaned against the back wall. His eyes were the same black but they had dark bags under them. He too had become taller and his features more sharp and strong. He flourished into a very handsome man but his dark aura just made you want to crinkle your nose. He wore a loose, dark blue gi, tied around his slim waist and it opened across his well defined chest. He had an off-white hakama on that looked absolutely filthy. No where in sight did he display a Konoha headband.

Tsunade felt rather than saw Jiraiya shuffle his feet on her right as he glared at Naruto with a childish gleam in his eyes. She also felt Kakashi nestled on the frame of her office window to her left. He was staring intently at his old students, his one visible eye hard and neutral.

A long silence passed before Tsunade opened her mouth to finally say something.

"Uzumaki Naruto. You were reported a missing-nin five years ago. You went against your duties as a Konoha ninja. You disobeyed your Hokage's orders and you were in the company of a missing-nin from Konoha. Is that correct?"

"Hai." Naruto clenched his fists as he waited to hear what his punishment was but instead Tsunade went on to Sasuke. He clenched his jaw as he listened to his leader.

"Uchiha Sasuke. You were reported a missing-nin seven years ago. You abandoned your village and allied yourself with a wanted, S-Class criminal and missing-nin. You ignored your Hokage's orders and you attacked and attempted to harm and kill fellow Konoha ninja. You were found in the presence of multiple missing-nin. Is that correct."

"Hn."

"...I'll take that as a yes." She gave the young Uchiha a disapproving glare before continuing, "Now for your punishments." After a few seconds of shuffling papers on her desk, a tic appeared on her forehead as she remembered she had sent Shizune to fetch the documents to assign their punishments. Before she did anything, a polite knock sounded on the door and Tsunade recognized Sakura's half-hearted hidden chakra.

"Enter." Her voice rumbled through the thick silence and the doors slowly creaked open to reveal the pink-haired kunoichi.

She looked serene and calm as she entered. She wore her usual attire that she normally wore around the village; tight black shorts that went mid-thigh under the dark red wrap that had a strip of cloth that fell over her behind and crotch and fell all the way down to her calves. She had flat sandals on that went all the way up to just below her knees. Her wrap was sleeveless and the collar went all the way around her neck. She had elbow length black gloves that had one tie around her middle finger. Her hair had grown long over the years and it was up in a high ponytail that fell towards the middle of her back. Her nails were painted a bright red as well as her lips.

She had a closed-off expression and she didn't look at anyone in the room but straight ahead. She slowly walked up to the Hokage's desk, her chin held high and held out the needed documents. The entire room was silent and all eyes were on her but she paid no one any mind except for Tsunade.

"Shizune-san asked me to deliver these documents to you immediately, sensei." her voice was steady and strong. It rang through the room and bounced off the walls.

Tsunade nodded her head and glanced at the two young boys before taking the documents. Naruto was staring open-mouthed at Sakura while Sasuke remained impassive yet his eyes didn't move from her form.

Kakashi looked surprised to see his old student and swiftly slid off the windowsill, "Sakura. When did you get back?"

Sakura finally looked away from Tsunade and she smiled slightly at her old sensei, "Just three days ago. I was in the hospital most of my time so that's why no one knew I was back."

Before Kakashi could reply, Tsunade interrupted, "Now on to the punishments." She scribbled something quickly onto the documents before looking up at the two boys. "Uzumaki Naruto. You are to remain off of any missions for three months and you will help around the village along with the genin. You are banned from the Ichiraku starting from tomorrow and if you are found near the booth, your punishment will start over with an added week. Do you understand?"

"H-Hai.." Naruto's face paled as he thought of three months more without Ichiraku's famous ramen. It was easy when he wasn't near the great, rich smell of fresh ramen but now when he was within range, he didn't know if he could resist!

"Do you accept your punishment?"

With a large gulp, Naruto nodded, "H-Hai..."

With a firm nod, Tsunade moved on to the next page, "Uchiha Sasuke. You are to remain within the village boundaries and off of any missions for six months and you too are to help around the village along with the genin. Also, you are expected to lend your assistance to the Academy every day without any complaints or problems. If you in any way disobey any of this, you will be sentenced to a more fatalistic punishment depending on how far you go in disobeying my orders. Is that clear?"

"Hai."

"Good. Both of you are to report to the Jounin building for interrogation once you are completely healed. Understood?"

"Hai."

"Hn."

Once that was done, Tsunade turned to Sakura who had moved to the left to lean against the wall next to the window.

"Sakura, I would appreciate it if you took them to the hospital and healed them." Tsunade's voice softened and Sakura just sighed and nodded, letting her hands fall to her sides.

She turned a bit hesitantly to her former teammates, the silence thickening as well as the tension. She licked her lips before she walked towards Naruto and positioned her two first fingers above his forehead, barely brushing against his skin. Naruto's eyes widened as a green light began to glow around her fingers and then his legs didn't feel so weak nor did they ache.

Before he knew what was happening, she was gone from in front of him. She was already walking out the door before she carelessly threw out a bored, "Follow me."

Sasuke, 'Hned' and pushed off the wall to follow her with Naruto stumbling after him.

* * *

The entire walk to the hospital was done in silence and once Sakura had checked the two boys into a room with two beds, she immediately got to work on healing them. 

Naruto lyed stiffly on the bed as Sakura's hands hovered above his middle, adorned with the same strange green light from before. His bright blue eyes didn't move from her blank face and not once did she meet his gaze.

"Relax."

Naruto jerked in surprise at her voice, his face turning red in embarrassment, "What?"

"You're as stiff as a rock. Relax. Your nervousness is distracting me."

"You don't look distracted."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. She threw him an annoyed glare before the green light intensified and she blocked him from her mind.

Naruto watched her for a moment before turning his attention to Sasuke. He was reclining on his bed near the window and when he felt Naruto's stare, he rolled his eyes to meet his blue ones without turning his head. When Naruto didn't say anything, just kept on staring, Sasuke rolled his head to the side to return the stare. He didn't let his annoyance show.

As Naruto opened his mouth to say something, he was startled out of his objective when Sakura suddenly slid her chair back before getting up to position it next to Sasuke's bed and then sitting back down.

"You're done already?" Naruto was amazed as he moved his callused palms over his chest and abdomen where his painful wounds used to be.

"It wasn't that serious. You were just fatigued. I'm sure you had more life-threatening wounds before. Now just get some rest."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan." His soft words caused Sakura to stiffen as she began to heal the silent Sasuke. Naruto didn't notice her response but Sasuke did and when she met his calculating gaze, her pained eyes hardened and she focused on healing him fast.

As the minutes passed by, Sakura's nerves began to go crazy with the thick tension coming from the two boys. She had thought Naruto would go to sleep after she had healed him but he just lyed there, boring holes into her back and she felt Sasuke's hot gaze on her face that she fought to keep blank. When Sasuke's last wound closed up and the tissue was healed, Sakura could have gotten up and screamed her relief.

Instead, she slid her chair back calmly before getting to her feet and without a word, she moved to the door. When her hand was on the doorknob, Naruto's voice stopped her.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

Taking a steadying breath, Sakura straightened without taking her hand from the doorknob, "I'm fine Naruto. Now get some rest. You two should be expecting your interrogations in the morning."

"Sakura-chan, wait." Naruto's soft voice struck something in her and she fought the tears that burned her eyes.

"What for, Naruto?" She spun around without thinking, her eyes blazing with an emerald fury.

Both seemed unaffected as Naruto went on, "How have you been all of these years?"

Sakura let out a helpless breath as she felt more tears building up; she feared they would spill over before she left the room and they would see her cry like a little weakling, as if she hadn't changed in all those seven years. "Naruto, what would you have me say? That I've been fine all these years? That I've been preparing for your grand return that I was constantly sure would come? That-That I was waiting for you guys to come back and I would be waiting by the gate with open arms and tears in my eyes? What did you expect, Naruto? You _left_ me! You _both_ left me! Team Seven is forever broken, our bond as teammates has forever been severed and frankly, I don't care! So many things have happened! You have no idea what I've been through, what's happened to me! I can't forgive you!" She choked on her last words and as she felt her tears well up on the verge of overflowing, she spun around and whipped the door open before letting it close shut behind her. She just walked away with her head held high and when she was out of the hospital and safe from anyone's eyes, she surrendered to her tears under the shelter of a beautiful cherry blossom tree. She didn't sob or bawl, she just let the tears roll down her flushed cheeks. And as the sun gave way to night, she disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossoms, lost in the camoflauge of the ancient cherry blossom tree.

* * *

_To the far east you will find a__ city engulfed in magick._

_Warriors who wield swords colored in the tints of their enchanted blood._

_An exotic land where the sands meet paradise._

_A cliff where a palace is cradled, lies an emperor with powers as plentiful as the sea._

_There you will find a crystal capable of taming any such beast;_

_Years will pass before a man is borne with power enough to free that of blood as red as his own._

_Then peace will cast its magic over the lands of Saarik,_

_And the rivers will run true once again._

_oioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioi_

_Objective: Go to Saarik and give aid to the emperor. Heal him to perfection before your mission is to be completed. _

_Time to Carry Out Objective: Unknown_

_You are given permission to return to Konoha for aid of the Hokage alone but you must return before a week has passed. No messages shall be sent between visits for they can be intercepted._

_Saarik is far to the east, past the deserts of the Kazekage. You may stop for rest and equipment when needed in the Village of Sand but you must be on your way within the second day. Keep moving east and you will come across grasslands, abundant in waterfalls and rivers. Continue east and a village will appear of the name Saalihl. Speak the saying above and they will lead you to the gate of Saarik. When you enter Saarik, immediately find your way to the emperor's palace and there your objective will commence._

_Speak of your objective and mission to no one. Do not let slip the location of Saarik. It is hidden by the village of Saalihl and if they find you have spoken of its location, Konoha cannot protect you from the consequences._

_Burn the scroll after you have memorized it, especially the saying above for that is your admission into the city._

* * *

The next day, Naruto and Sasuke were sent to different rooms, both accompanied by four advanced jounin ninja, to be interrogated. By then, the entire village of Konoha knew of their return and rumors began to spread. The interrogations took up the entire day and flowed into the night. Just before the clock struck midnight, the boys were allowed to be escorted back to their hospital beds to be fed and to rest. The next morning, they returned to the jounin building to commence with their interrogations. 

"Sakura-chan! Is this where you were all night? Tsunade-san was looking for you since Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san were sent to the interrogation room." Shizune's voice startled Sakura out of her study. She looked up at the entrance to the quiet library in the Hokage's building. A thick scroll was sprawled out in front of her on the wide mahogany desk and as Shizune looked closely, she could see dark circles under the young girl's dulled eyes.

Sakura gave a sheepish smile after stifling a yawn, "Hai. I was doing a bit of studying and kind of lost track of the time. I told Sensei where I was going to be. It's her own fault for not listening." Sakura grinned.

Shizune raised one eyebrow as she leaned her hip against the desk, "And what were you so ferverently studying through the night?"

Sakura's grin faltered before she began to make her way to the door, "Just a few new methods of healing is all." She stopped when she saw Shizune eyeing the scroll. She then turned her direction back to the desk before rolling up the scroll and heaving it into a random space in the cluttered shelf. "Sensei should really think of organizing this place." With a bright smile at a suspicious Shizune, Sakura flounced out of the room and headed for the Hokage's office.

* * *

**End of Chapter One.**

**Things will begin to unfold better in the next chapter! I can't wait. I've been dreaming this up for quite some time now. I'm so happy I've finally decided to write it now! **

**Tell me what you thought. REVIEW!**

**yuru**


	2. Walk Away

**DISCLAIMER: None of these character belong to me!**

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews guys! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I had this chapter written for a while but I was unsure if it was good enough to upload, lol. Sorry for the long wait. **

**LAND OF ENCHANTMENT**

**Chapter 2**

_Walk Away_

It's been three days since the reunion of Team Seven and since my abrupt flee from the hospital room, we haven't been in the same room again. I heard from Tsunade-sensei that it took them two days to thoroughly interrogate Naruto and Sasuke. They didn't seem to be holding anything back and only when Tsunade-sensei mentioned Sasuke's older brother, did she get a reaction from the young Uchiha. He wasn't able to avenge his family's deaths; someone had beat him to it, or at least that's what the rumors say.

"Sakura-chan?"

I turned around and came face to face with my best friend and childhood rival; Ino.

"Sakura-chan! When did you get back?" She pulled me into a tight hug before pulling away to look me over.

I gave her a big smile before replying, "I came back about six days ago." I gave a sheepish grin at her pouty glare.

"And you didn't try to find me or call me or _anything_?!"

"I'm sorry, Ino-chan! I was so busy and then Naruto and Sasuke came back and I was so distracted." She raised an expectant eyebrow and I let out a long sigh. "I know. There's no excuse. I should've told you." I grinned as I slid my arm around her shoulder and began walking down the dusty street. "So, what have you been up to?"

Her pout turned into a big grin, "Well, last year I entered to become a Jounin and guess what? I passed!"

I gasped as my eyes widened and I stopped in my tracks, "Am I the only one who isn't a Jounin?!"

"Well, no. You and the rest of Team Seven. At least you're a chuunin, that makes you the highest rank in your team." She let out an annoying giggle and I pushed away from her with my nose crinkled.

"Oh, shut it, Ino-pig! I can still kick your ass!" I began to walk down the crowded street again with my arms folded above my head.

"Oh forehead-girl! Remember to respect your superiors!" Ino sing-songed after me as she jogged to catch up. After a few seconds of girlish laughter, we fell into step beside each other letting the silence roll over.

"So, Sakura. What have you been up to? That mission of yours took quite a while to finish. I'm glad you're back." She gave me a genuine smile and I looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

"Uh, it's not quite finished yet, Ino. I just came back for a little guidance. I'm gonna be gone in a few days and I don't know when I'll be back." After a little while of waiting for her to say something I glanced over at Ino and saw she was watching her feet as we strolled down the street.

I noticed a small twitch at the corner of her glossy lips before her voice broke the silence, "Remember how we used to fight over Sasuke? How we threw away our friendship for some silly boy? It's funny how much we were willing to sacrifice for someone who didn't even give us a second glance." Her wistful murmur of our past almost brought tears to my eyes. I looked forward as she continued, "I feel a bit pissed at how much time we lost with each other because we were too busy chasing after that depressing Uchiha." She stopped to turn towards me, her eyes bright with glistening tears, "Sakura, promise me you'll come back. Promise that you'll finish that mission quick! I'm missing you too much." She pulled me into another tight hug so I wouldn't notice the tears streaming down her cheeks but I felt them fall on my shoulder but I didn't say anything.

I nodded as I pat her back soothingly and when she pulled away, quickly wiping her tears away, I gave her my brightest smile, "I promise, Ino-chan."

* * *

_The rush of air as my feet pounded against hot sand. The blaze of a midday sun in a cloudless sky. I felt the sweat soak into my already moist clothes and my hair stick to my sweaty forehead and neck. As far as my emerald eyes could see was only hills of sand. The sun soaked into my brain and mirages appeared in the distance. Hallucinations of paradise and safety, of friends and dead family. I fought with unconsciousness, for if I saw black, my life would be over and my mission unfinished. I used my diminishing chakra to soothe my aches and strengthen my mind. I fought not to forfeit and before long, the far away mirage didn't disappear and I took my first step in paradise._

* * *

The uncomprehensible chatter of the room beat into Sakura's head as she entered the bar. Ino had convinced her to attend to the celebration she and Tenten had organized for the reunion of Rookie Nine and Gai's Team. It was the first time in over seven years the twelve childhood friends had been together. Sakura had argued that she barely knew any of the others besides her own team and Ino but Ino had insisted that without her, there wouldn't be a Rookie Nine and so Sakura had reluctantly agreed to show up. 

As she casually scanned the room for Ino, her annoyance grew at the crowded bar, noticing that there were a lot more people than just twelve, celebrating. She managed to pick out a few familiar faces but the majority of the room was unknown to her. When her search for Ino didn't seem promising, she gave up and moved to lean against a wall next to the bar.

At the corner of her senses she heard, "What'll it be?" but she didn't pay it any mind until, "Oy, Cherry Blossom! What'll it be?" cut through her senses.

Sakura turned towards the bartender, a plump little bald man with a thin black mustache and the beginnings of a unibrow. She casually glanced around and then motioned to herself as if saying, 'Me?'

"Yeah, you. Are ya gonna have somethin' or not?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Sakura turned away and heard the man grumble something about cheap kids. She just let out a sigh and when a few more minutes passed, Sakura pushed away from the wall and made for the door but then stopped abruptly when Naruto and Sasuke entered.

She almost fell into a panicked frenzy before disguising her chakra and losing herself in the crowd. She found an empty table towards the back and she slumped into the chair that was against the wall and faced it in the general direction of the door. She leaned her cheek in her palm and rested her elbow on the table and molded her expression into an entirely bored look.

A few minutes passed before Sakura was startled out of her slumber by the voice of Team Seven's old sensei. She only realized she had fallen asleep when she opened her eyes. She looked up lazily at Kakashi's half hidden face, his one eye crinkled in amusement as he took a seat next to his old student.

"Sakura, so good to see you having such a great time." He leaned back in his seat as he looked his former student over.

Sakura glared at Kakashi as she straightened herself and swiped at a bit of spittle at the side of her mouth. "Good to see you too, Kaka-sensei."

Kakashi narrowed his eye playfully, "Please, don't call me that. It makes me feel old."

"Well, I'm sorry _Kaka-sensei_, but I just feel so much more closer to you when I use our old nickname for our dear old teacher." She forced a giggle down at his exasperated look and after a while, their comfortable silence grew strained.

"Why are you sitting here alone?"

Sakura shrugged as she casually ran her eyes over the room. "I couldn't find anyone so I just came to the back to wait till someone found me, and look, it worked." She let a smile grace her features as her green eyes met his dark one.

"Ah, well you know, I saw a rather large table on the other side of that crowd where I think you would know most of its occupants."

Sakura's smile faltered as she took in what he said. She gave him a hesitant nod which triggered him to stand up.

"Come, I'll show you." He leaned against the table with an eyebrow raised expectantly.

Sakura huffed an annoyed sigh before shuffling to her feet. Somewhere deep down, she was really nervous at confronting her old comrades again, especially her old teammates. Her breakdown in the hospital kept flashing through her mind as Kakashi led her through the throbbing crowd to where she immediately picked out the loudest table that happened to be her old friends, or old acquaintances, she didn't really consider them friends, only Ino; she was the only one she truly knew.

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard as she and Kakashi approached the table. A few steps away Ino noticed them and yelled out for Sakura excitedly. Kakashi stopped and turned to face Sakura, his eye crinkled in a grin.

"I'll see you later, Sakura, I think I see Gai and Asuma over there." He winked knowingly and hurriedly lost himself in the crowd.

Sakura stood stock-still, staring after him, her eyes almost wide in fright. _'I hate him.'_

"Sakura-chan!" Ino's shrill voice reached her through the noise and Sakura slowly turned towards the dreaded table. Everyone was staring at her, _everyone_ was there. All eleven.

Before she knew what she was doing, she felt her wobbly legs start to move towards the table and she could have sworn her vision began to sway.

The rest of the night was a blur. She probably drank about one mug of beer and two glasses of hard liquor with three shots of sake.

She had _never_ drank before in her life.

All she remembered were the curious stares from everyone and the same questions of where she was all those years. Naruto and Sasuke never even attempted to speak to her and she made no indication that she had any thought of even looking at them! She mostly talked with Ino and Tenten and there were a few long discussions with Lee that she had no idea about what. She did remember, however, the new confidence in Hinata as she and Naruto giggled in their little corner as well as the busty brunette that kept rubbing herself on an impassive Sasuke.

She remembered something about the appearence of her Tsunade-sensei and then waking up back in her familiar single room apartment with a splitting headache that made her see double and caused tears to well up in her eyes.

As she glanced at the clock after soothing her headache with some of her healing chakra, she almost fell off her bed. It was 2:00 in the evening and in less than nine hours she would be leaving for Saarik again, not to see Konoha for who knew how long.

She stumbled off the bed, almost tripping in her tangled bedsheets in her hurry to get to the shower. In less than a half and hour she was dressed in her usual attire and out of the apartment, heading for the Hokage's building. She stopped by one of the local bakeries and got some breakfast to eat as she walked, finally calm when she realized she had previously taken care of all the extra errands of resupplying herself for the journey back across that blasted blazing desert.

As she took her last bite of the delicious pastry she had bought she heard the unique voice of Naruto around the corner before she saw him and, of course, Sasuke turn the corner. They were walking down the street while she was walking up.

They met her eyes about the same time she found their's and she knew she couldn't poof herself out of this one. As they walked closer, Sakura had decided to just ignore them but Naruto called out to her instead.

"Sakura-chan! How are you feeling? You had a bit to drink last night, huh?" He let out a forced laugh and Sakura just stared at him with dead eyes.

"Hai, Naruto, I did have too much to drink, but you see the advantage of being a medic-nin is that you don't have to worry about hangovers and silly little nuisances like that." She gave him a sickingly sweet smile before casually glancing around the bustling street.

Naruto gave a hesitant nod before glancing at Sasuke who just shifted his weight to his other foot before crossing his arms in a bored manner. He stared at Sakura with a blank expression and she couldn't tell whether he was annoyed or amused.

After the silence had dragged on for too long, Sakura let out a hasty breath before breaking it, "Well, I'll be seeing you guys later. I have business with the Hokage."

But before she could make her getaway, Naruto stopped her again, "Hey, Sakura-chan, I heard you were leaving. I heard you were on a pretty long mission and you're not telling anyone what it is and you're leaving again because of it."

Sakura clenched her fists as she thought of that loud-mouth Ino. "Hai, Naruto. I am leaving again. And just so you know," she turned her head to look at them before continuing, "this mission doesn't concern _anyone_ but me right now, well, for at least at the moment it doesn't. Once it's over, everyone will know, I assure you. Once it's over, it'll concern all of Konoha." And without a second glance she puffed out of the street, leaving behind a whirl of cherry blossoms as her only evidence of her being there.

* * *

That night at eleven thirty, a figure clad in red and black made her way out of the Konoha gates, her pink hair gleaming in the moonlight as she disappeared in a rush of silent footsteps into the forest, her direction to the east.

* * *

**End of Chapter Two**

**I know this one was a little short but I thought it was a good spot to stop. The next chapter goes back a few years and a few of my own characters make their appearances! So watch out! I hope no one was OOC or anything. I tried to keep them in character but oh well, if they're not, too bad, it's my story. LOL.**

**Tell meh what you thought! REVIEW!**

**yuru**


	3. All the Pretty Faces

**EDIT: I reviewed this chapter because I reread it and was appalled by the amount of mistakes made. I'll probably get back in the mood to continue this story since I'm home for 3 months. My graduation from high school is tomorrow! wish me luck!**

**DISCLAIMER: The only things mentioned in this chappie that I DO NOT own is Sakura, Konoha and the Hokage! **

**LAND OF ENCHANTMENT**

**Chapter Three**

_All the Pretty Faces_

"To the far east you will find a city engulfed in magick. Warriors who wield swords colored in the tints of their enchanted blood. An exotic land where the sands meet paradise. A cliff where a palace is cradled, lies an emperor with powers as plentiful as the sea. There you will find a crystal capable of taming any such beast; years will pass before a man is borne with power enough to free that of blood as red as his own. Then peace will cast its magic over the lands of Saarik, and the rivers will run true once again."

"Welcome to Saarik."

My heart was pounding hard against my chest as I was led to an overbearing ancient stone wall hidden in the woods protected by the village of Saalihl. The village could not be seen from where I stood in front of the gigantic wall with old carvings of scenes and ancient languages. The cheerful songs of birds and critters went silent as the definite scraping and groaning from the wall overpowered everything else as the guards opened the heavy antique door that would lead me to Saarik.

When the door was opened just large enough for me to pass through, I glanced up at the guards and tilted my head in thanks before I passed over the threshold. Once inside, the heavy door clamped shut behind with a hard thud that caused dust and small stones to tumble down around me.

I looked back up at the wall but couldn't see the top of it because of its height and the amount of branches and leaves that blocked out the sky. I let out a sigh before beginning to walk the uncertain path that I hoped would take me to the city of Saarik and hopefully to the palace as well.

Before long, my sandaled feet scuffed stone and I looked down to see that I finally reached some hint of civilization apart from the age old statues covered in the disguise of nature that I passed on my long walk.

I followed the stone path for a little while and finally the forest gave way and I found myself amongst a bustling crowd in the outskirts of Saarik. I looked up towards the mountain and there, _cradled_ in a nice little nook in the side of the mountain was the most beautiful building I'd ever seen. The palace. It looked as if it were made of colorful glass because from which ever way you looked at it, a different color glinted off from the light of the sun but when you looked directly at it, only sleek white gleamed in the light.

From where I stood, I couldn't see much detail so instead I took in my surroundings. Everyone I could see was dressed in some exotic style. The clothes were made of silk and gold glittered in the evening light. The girls' hair were adorned in silver and gold trinkets with thin jeweled bands that circled their head like royal coronets. The men bared tan chests and their hair too had jewels and little oddities hidden amongst their strands. Some of the people walked barefoot while others had beautifully done sandals that had silk ties all the way up to the knees. No one was completely covered, everyone showed a lot of skin and everyone was astoundingly beautiful.

_This place really was paradise_.

The buildings were done in detail and the stone it was made of glittered in the sun. Stalls were open amongst the street and pleasantly plump mothers bustled against each other to get the best products being sold. Children chased each other, their laughter an innocent ring in the incomprehensible chatter of the crowds.

Before long people started to throw me curious glances and disdainful looks at my clothes which were covered in sand and mud, my visible toes dirty with sand and my hair tangled and dull. I managed to suppress my burning blush of embarassment and began to make my way through the crowd in the direction I hoped would find me at the palace.

Two hours passed and I became lost in the amount of turns and bridges and steps Saarik's city was constructed of and the buildings began to grow taller in the heart of the city which blocked out the image of the palace at certain angles and made me go into an unconsciouse panic. I sat down to rest, my stomach grumbling as I gazed at the glowing image of the palace in the distance, its walls sparkling pink and orange with the setting sun. The crowds didn't seem to disperse at the sight of the receding sun, it just grew thinner and less busy.

I had tried to buy some unknown but delicious looking meal at a stall but the man had looked at my money suspiciously and sent me away. I didn't know what to do or where to go to get my money changed into the currency of Saarik so I went wandering and found a wide, startlingly beautiful fountain with a gold statue in the middle of it of a man with long hair and a woman with naked breasts and hair done up in an impossible fashion. The woman held an instrument that looked like a harp and the man was gazing at her with adoring attention. The statues looked so real, you would have thought they were people who were turned into gold during this romantic moment. The statue was centered in a huge dip in this part of the city. Stairs led down to it from all sides and it seemed that people came here to relax or to meet with others in the presence of this huge fountain.

This is where I had been sitting glumly for the past half and hour. I was weak with hunger and I was staring temptingly at the large koi fish that swam in the fountain water. Each fish was unique and beautiful. I had eaten the last bit of food I had with me the day before I had reached Saalihl and the excitement of finally reaching the village made me forget all about eating but now as I sat there with no idea what to do, the hunger started to take over. I had asked countless people how to get to the palace which earned me wary stares and half-hearted directions which seemed to get me more lost than I already was.

Before I knew what was happening, the sun was gone and the moon had taken its place amongst the glittering stars. The city seemed to come alive with bright lamps at every corner and the faint sound of music and laughter could be heard in the distance. I was amazed at the foreign characteristics of this city. All my life I was accustomed to everyone going home or to a bar when night came, not wandering around and hanging out. It was truly amazing and I found it rather refreshing.

Without knowing what else to do, I gazed up at the glowing image of the palace, its walls reflecting the beauty of the moon and I took a deep breath before climbing to my stiff feet. I stretched for a few seconds and stifled a yawn before heading in the direction with the palace in the background.

After a _long_ while, I was just about ready to drop dead on the street and sleep my worries away but I came upon a gate with two guards in shiny armor and helmets on to mask their identity. They stood to each side of the gate, which was strangely open. Behind them and the gate, you could see a stone building to the side of the stone path. There was a guard on the roof of the building without a helmet and his head was staring in my direction.

I took a deep gulp before stepping up to the two guards by the gate. I had already noticed that the stone path led into the mountains and most likely to the palace. I managed to suppress the bubbling excitement as I cleared my throat. As I was about to make my move, I was stopped by a voice, whose voice it was, I didn't know because of the helmets.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?"

"Um, my name is Haruno Sakura and I was sent here from Konoha to aid in the healing of the emperor. Does this path lead to the palace?"

A silence passed and the two guards glanced at each other before the guard on the right looked up at the man who was on the roof. You could hear the man give a heaving sigh before he disappeared. After a few minutes, he reappeared through the door that led into the stone building, followed by four other guards in shiny armor and elaborate helmets.

As the man came closer, his appearance became more visible. He had long auburn hair tied high on his head that fell to just below his shoulders. Spiky strands framed his face and a few stuck up in the air. Like most everyone, he had a strikingly beautiful face and as he moved closer, his eyes glowed a deep red with sparks of gold that caught in the light of the nearby lamps. He didn't wear shiny armor but an intricately done dark red tunic with a black cape thrown across his shoulders and fell just below the middle of his back. His boot came up to just below his knees and they looked very expensive.

As I met his striking eyes, I noticed a strange smirk on his features as his eyes ran up and down my figure. I stiffened immediately and set my face into a hardened expression.

"You're the healer Konoha sent?" His voice was deep and teasing.

"Yes." I lifted my chin in pride as I stared him down.

His smirk widened as he dismissed the guards he came with. They marched back into the stone building. I watched them go before returning my gaze to the red-haired man and was startled to find him still staring at me. I glared at him and he let out an abrupt laugh that startled me even more.

"What's your name?"

"Haruno Sakura."

"Alright, Haruno-san. Follow me." He nodded to the two guards by the open gate and turned around before strolling up the stone path that led to the palace.

I hesitated for a second before hurrying after him, jumping as the gate clanged shut behind me.

I caught up to his slow stride and fell into step beside him, throwing curious glances at him. The path was lit and we passed by various stone buildings similar to the first one at the gate. Every guard we passed waved or nodded at the redhead who kept an annoying grin all throughout their walk.

The silence between us was so strained that it was driving me insane. It annoyed me even more when he didn't even seem to notice I was walking beside him.

"What's your name?" I blurted out before I could help myself.

He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow and an amused look before answering, "Rene."

"Nice to meet you, Rene." I said, testing his name as if it were a new dish. "How long till we reach the palace?"

"Not long, maybe five more minutes. You can get a good look at the palace through the trees now." He nodded in the direction I should look.

I looked up through the branches and was struck breathless at the beauty of the palace up close. The walls shimmered as if reflecting the surface of the ocean, the colors flowing together. The palace stood tall and elegant, framed by the backdrop of a starry sky, glittering in every direction you looked. The moon was large and bright, positioned directly behind the palace so you only saw pieces of it. As we finally approached the entrance of the palace, my eyes couldn't look away. I was barely aware of Rene conversing with the guards who stood outside the palace gates and I unconsciously followed him into the palace courtyard. It was like walking into a dream, there was a small fountain in the middle of the courtyard with a team of koi fish in its waters. Exotic plants I had never seen before made up the lush gardens that bordered the glittering stone path that led to the grand palace doors that rose far above them. They had a sheen about them that gave the impression that the palace doors were made of gold. The courtyard was alight with intricately carved lamps that rose from the bushes. Another path led its way into the gardens to the right of the palace but Rene led me to the huge overbearing palace doors that gleamed gold.

They slowly swung open with a groaning that sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't notice Rene's knowing grin at my reaction to the palace. Inside the entrance hall was just as beautiful as the courtyard. Expensive vases and pictures took up most of the hall as well as ridiculously long velvet curtains that covered the corners of the hall. A long intricate rug led the way to fifteen marble steps and two doors just as impressive as the front doors, just a little smaller. We passed countless motionless guards that were covered from head to toe in intricate golden antique armor. It made me wonder if there really were people under all that armor. We also passed by numerous doors as well that were framed by the velvet curtains.

Rene led me up the fifteen marble stairs and caught me craning my neck to the left and right of the doors to see where the twirling staircases led. I gave a sheepish grin when I saw him staring at me with amusement etched into his features.

"Behind these doors is the throne room. The emperor should be waiting for you."

"How does he know I'm here?"

"A messenger was sent to inform his highness." He grinned at me before nodding to the two guards I didn't notice before who were standing in the corners at each side by the doors.They seemed to blend into the walls.

"His highness..." I mumbled it under my breath, the meaning of it unfamiliar to me.

"Yeah, the Emperor."

Before I could reply, the doors swung open faster than I thought possible and Rene passed across the threshold. I took a deep breath before following him. I was about to face _royalty_.

* * *

The first thing I saw was the emperor. His beauty made me falter in my steps; he had long silver hair brushed to a shine and amber eyes that glowed with confidence. He was wearing an open white and gold robe that revealed his well-defined pale white chest that looked as if it was chisled from marble. He had on loose white silk pants that hung low on his hips giving a tantalizing tease of what was hidden below. He didn't wear shoes, his ankles adorned with thick gold bands that matched the thick bracelets around his wrists and upper arms. He had a thick golden necklace brushing his collarbone that matched a golden coronet nestled in his silver strands.

He sat on an intimidating throne made of jewels and gold and white marble. Red silk curtains hung behind his throne to hide the doors that led to another room. Pillars lined the path leading to four steps up to the throne where intricate rugs and decorations surrounded the emperor's seat. Guards stood at each pillar and even at the walls behind the pillars. There were two other men who were dressed differently by the steps near the throne. They looked more at ease and care-free than the uptight guards around the room.

The one to the left at the bottom of the stairs had dark green hair tied at the nape of his neck and came down to mid-back with thick strands falling over a thick black headband to frame his face. As I moved closer I noticed his eyes were a darker green than my own, and like Rene, his eyes sparked with gold in the light. He wore an outfit similar to Rene's except his was done in a dark green to match his features. He too had a black cape, but it hung behind to brush the back of his calves.

The other man was standing next to the throne with a big smile on his face as I walked towards them. He had blue hair that was shorter in the back and fell around his face in longer strands. His eyes were a royal blue and not surprisingly, they sparked gold as well. It was kind of like a bad joke that he was dressed in a blue version of Rene's outfit and his black cape hung to midback. He had a black bandana tied around his forehead and was lost in his spiky hair.

It was strange how they each had their own color and matched so perfectly. Were they at some higher rank because their hair matched their eyes and they were almost unbearably handsome? I suppressed a giggle and concentrated on the matter at hand.

"Haruno Sakura."

I almost stumbled as the voice rumbled through the large hall and it took me a second to realize the emperor had spoken. I stopped in front of the stairs and realized Rene wasn't by my side anymore when I spotted him on the opposite side of the green haired guy. He was grinning at me and I stared at him for a second before looking up at the emperor.

"H-Hai.." I could have kicked myself for my trembling voice, I cleared my throat and tried again, "Hai." That was better, it was clear and strong.

"How old are you?"

His question caught me off-guard and my confidence seemed to falter. To my dismay, everyone within my view seemed to notice.

"Sixteen years old, your highness." I answered, using what Rene had called him earlier.

"You mean to tell me Konoha sent a mere child here to aid me?" His voice was stern and seemed a little pissed.

I saw Rene's nervous glance at the emperor and I forced myself not to fidget. I met the emperor's cold stare and nodded, "I wouldn't consider myself a child, your highness. Back where I come from you're measured by rank and talent, not age. I am highly capable of handling your healing."

The emperor seemed to mull over that for a while before nodding with satisfaction. "If you weren't, then you wouldn't be here. I welcome you to Saarik. My name is Azryal. You will start the healing process tomorrow, you look travel worn." The way he said it made me feel as if he were insulting me, I clenched my fists and lifted my chin just a tad higher as he went on, "Tomorrow I will send one of my guards to fetch you. Be ready." He leaned back as if he were done with me and nodded at the green haired man who nodded back.

The green haired man turned towards me and motioned for me to follow. With a glance back at the emperor and then towards Rene, I hurried after the green guy. He led me through a side door that was darkened behind the pillars. I found myself following him through a well-lit hall just as impressive as the entrance hall. We passed by countless beautifully carved doors before stopping outside a set of double doors.

"This is where you will stay. You may consider it as your own for as long as you stay here. A personal servant will come to assist you in a few minutes."

He turned to leave but I stopped him, "I didn't get your name."

Without turning to look at me he answered, "Galen." And then he was gone.

I let out a sigh before entering _my _room. I almost fainted at the knowledge that all of this was _mine_! The room was bigger than the Hokage's office. Blue-green marble tile shined in the light making it seem so slippery, you wouldn't be able to walk on it. Straight ahead a beautifully done bed was made up on the floor, the silk cushions and blankets making it look very inviting. Above the bed were numerous multi-colored curtains hanging from the ceiling to make it look like vines hanging from a tree. Beautiful paintings covered the walls, and rugs covered much of the marble tiles. On the left wall a door led into a huge bathroom bigger than my apartment in Konoha. The marble tub was big enough to swim in and mirrors covered the walls. To the right of the bed was a closed glass double door that led out onto a balcony. I moved aside the sheer curtains that covered the doors to push them open. The breeze was sweet against my skin and as I looked over the banister, my gasp was lost amongst the night breeze. I looked over the glittering lights of the city that challenged the beauty of the stars above but what struck me breathless was the sparkling ocean that took up half of my view. As far as the eye could see was only black ocean. Who knew we were so close to the coast? A small voice yanked me back from my gazing and I spun around to see a young woman standing by the double doors.

"Haruno-san? Your bath is ready."

I fought to get words out of my parched throat. "U-Uh, thanks..." _I have my own personal servant_?!

She was dressed in what most of the people in the city wore, except she had a thick gold choker with a strange emblem on it that I had glanced around the palace and on the guards. She had soft, chocolate brown hair done up in an intricate style atop her head and a patient smile. She looked to be around nineteen or twenty.

I followed her back into my room and into the bathroom. The tub was filled to the top with a soft pink looking water that looked transparent when you looked directly at it. As I started to strip my dirty, ruined clothes off, I noticed the girl was still there, waiting patiently.

"Um, what's your name?"

"Trina, Haruno-san."

"You don't have to call me Haruno-san. You can call me Sakura." I smiled at the girl who looked at me strangely before nodding, "Nice to meet you, Trina."

I threw off my last article of clothing before slowly getting into the water, the heat of it surrounding me causing me to moan in appreciation. I hadn't had a decent bath in days, since I left the Hidden Village of Sand so long ago. I looked up to find Trina gone as well as my clothes and shrugged before submerging my entire form into the sweet smelling water.

Once my bath was over and I was fully dried, I found an elegant robe near the table in a corner of the bathroom. It was done in the style of Saarik and as I put it on, the smooth feeling of the silk caused me to smile. It was a bit off the shoulder and when I tied the silk sash around my waist, I noticed I had a little slit coming all the way up to my knees in the front where the cloth met. I left my hair loose to dry before I left the bathroom to find an elaborate dinner waiting for me on the intricately carved table by the left wall near the floor-to-ceiling window. The food made my mouth water as I ate it and before long, my eyes were drooping sleepily. I crawled between the lush blankets and soft cushions of the bed and fell asleep before I even knew I had closed my eyes.

* * *

**I think that was a pretty good spot to stop. I liked making up what Saarik looked like, it was a lot of fun! I hope you enjoyed it as much I did dreaming it. lol.**

**Pronounciations:**

**Galen- gallon**

**Rene- reen**

**Azryal- az-ree-yal**

**Trina- treena**

**Remember to review and leave me any comments you have! I love reviews!**

**yuru**


	4. Time After Time

**SO SORRY FOR THE LONG LONG LONG WAIT!! **

**A/N: Okay this chapter is back in present time (just so you don't feel all confused :) but everything in the _italics_ takes place in the past when Sakura was sixteen and it was her first time in Saarik! jus so ya kno!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything Naruto-related however Saarik and Saalihl and everything in it DOES belong to MOI!! :)**

**_Enjoy! xoxoxo_**

* * *

**LAND OF ENCHANTMENT**

**Chapter Four**

_Time After Time_

"Haruno, Sakura. Welcome back to Saarik. You look terrible."

I squinted at the figure at the top of the stairs and immediately recognized him from his striking blue hair. It was the third Royal Guard and the emperor's right hand man; Kyston. He was twenty-two, a year younger than the emperor as well as his closest friend and most trusted companion. I glared at him as I came closer to the base of the extravagant staircase in the entrance of the palace.

"You would too if you were trudging through a blazing hot desert for four days straight and then running into three days worth of rain and mud before you could reach Saalihl! People were staring at me as if I were some sort of mud monster rolling out of the forest."

Kyston let out a refreshing laugh before speaking, "Actually, you're wrong. I would still look amazing. I _do_ have special powers you know." He ignored my glare and continued, "Anyway, Azryal would like to see you after you've scrubbed off all that mud and grit. Trina should be almost done preparing your bath so hurry along, you don't want to keep the mighty emperor waiting."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing tone before climbing the stairs and rubbing as much 'mud and grit' on him as I passed, ignoring his girly protests.

* * *

An hour and a half went by before Sakura entered the throne room. The usual assemblage was present; the two and a half dozen royal soldiers, the three guards making up the emperor's Saahdia or Royal Guard; Kyston, Rene, and Galen, and of course the emperor himself. There were also the odd number of servants nearby to wait on the emperor if needed. Sakura no longer felt nervous or self-conscious when she entered the room alone; she had done it numerous times a day for the past three years.

She walked down the middle of the room towards the emperor's throne, her golden sandals making no noise on the thick rug that created the path to the throne. She wore a white robe held together with a golden rope tied around her slim waist. The cloth fell past her ankles giving glimpses of her calves through two slits up the sides as she walked and was armless so the gold bands around her upper arms shone in the light. Her pink hair was done up in braids and gold beads atop her head with strands falling to frame her face. She felt like a princess. She always did when she was in the palace.

She curtsied in front of the emperor before looking up at him. He wore dark red and gold today. His clothes were always extravagant and beautiful, his jewelry always matched and his hair was always glossy. He was always _perfect_.

"Welcome back Sakura. I hope your journey to Konoha was well worth it."

Sakura met his eyes and smiled in answer to his hidden question. _Yes, it was very well worth it. I finally know how to help you._

At her smile Azryal continued, "We will start tomorrow then. Get some rest; you look tired."

Sakura forced her features to stay blank as she felt the irritation bubbling up. _Didn't anyone realize that she spent the last couple of days roasting in a desert? Of course she was going to look tired! _In the corner of her eye she caught Kyston cough into his fist to cover his smile. She fought not to roll her eyes as she curtsied once more and spun on her heel to walk out of the throne room whence she came at Azryal's dismissal.

* * *

_"Nice to meet you. M'name's Kyston. I'm here take you to see his Highness" _

_Brilliant smile. _

_"You'll fit in real nice here."_

_Friendly eyes._

_"If you haven't noticed everyone here has a weird hair color, you'll blend in, no worries."_

_Beautiful laughter._

_"His Highness isn't too bad either. You'll like him and there's no doubt he'll like you too." _

_Relaxed stride._

_"How could he not? You're gorgeous! Not to mention you're gonna heal him."_

_Mischievous grin._

* * *

_Just like him..._

* * *

"What did you find out in your village?"

"Your ah, chakra streams were blocked by magick, obviously."

"But I'm not a ninja, we don't have...chakra."

"I don't know what else to call it. Your 'magick streams'?"

"...chakra is fine."

"Anyway, it's blocked with really strong magick and it's going to be incredibly difficult to unblock them using my chakra."

"Why?"

"..because chakra and magick are two completely different sources and from what I've studied while here, magick seems to be the stronger source."

"How did you find out more about magick in your ninja village?"

"Well, apparently the First Hokage was well acquainted with these lands and I had to look incredibly hard in the old archives to find any old scrolls or books that pertained to Saarik and anything to do with it."

"Ah."

"What...?"

"I wasn't aware that Saarik had dealt with ninja villages in the past."

"...really? Well, it _was_ a really long time ago."

"That's no excuse. It should have been recorded... Excuse me, continue."

"...yeah. Um, do you know who blocked your magick?"

"Yes. A very talented palace wizard named Radek. He was banished for uncontrolled magick usage and as retaliation he put this curse on me before I was able to seal him in the icy mountains further east. My magick began slipping away immediately afterward and soon, I had none left to use."

"Hm. When did this happen?"

"Four years ago. I was nineteen years of age. Not too long before I contacted your Hokage I began to fall ill from the magick building up and not being used. I fear it may kill me in time. It's torturous; being able to feel it there, bubbling inside you and not being able to touch it, to harness it."

"I'll need to run a few more tests on what the reactions will be if I use my chakra inside you. Are you willing to start now?"

"Yes."

* * *

_"Hello! You're adorable! Are you lost?" I didn't know there were little children in the palace._

_"...No. I'm looking for my brother." Flaming red hair. I can guess who that is._

_"Really? What's his name?"_

_"Rene. What's your's?" She had such big innocent eyes._

_"Sakura. Your's?"_

_"Riina. I'm nine!" I gave her a big smile._

_"Wow really?" She gave me a vigorous nod before looking around her as if expecting her brother to pop out of the shadows._

_"Hey, I know your brother. He's probably in the throne room. Do you know where that is?" She gave me a 'duh' look that surprised me. Maybe she wasn't as innocent and sweet as I first thought. _

_"Yes. I know where it is. I've already checked there. You wanna help me find him?" Without waiting for an answer she held out her hand and looked at me expectantly. I gave her another smile before taking her hand and following her in the direction she was headed in._

_"Do you live here?" I looked down at her, thinking how cute her two little pigtails bobbed atop her head as she walked._

_"No. I live with Rene in the city. We have a nice house near the sea. I like to swim."_

_"Yeah? That sounds nice. Where's your parents?" I regretted asking it as soon as I said it. That was too much prying; she obviously didn't have any otherwise she would have said she was living with them. I glanced down at her nervously and was relieved to see her looking normal and replying without any hesitancy._

_"They died when I was two years old. Rene took care of me. I always play in the palace while he's protecting Azryal. And sometimes I get to spend the night in the palace when Rene is away or here late!" I found it strange she referred to the emperor so familiarly. _

_A half hour went by before we finally found Rene dozing in the palace gardens. He was thoroughly reprimanded by his sister for not protecting Azryal properly and then tugged away to have lunch, me following in their wake. It was the beginning of a blossoming albeit strange friendship. I never made friends with anyone younger than me before. I guess I found it difficult enough to make friends with kids my own age what with my big forehead. _

_A smile grazed my lips at that torturous memory of my childhood; so very far away, long ago. Surprisingly in much more simpler times._

* * *

My heart skipped a beat.

"I did it." I whispered.

"What? What did you say?" Azryal's golden eyes regarded me in suspicion.

"I did it." I said more firmly. "I've figured out how to unblock your magick." I was wringing my hands to keep my excitement contained.

Azryal looked speechless for once. He stared at me with cautious eyes. "I won't believe it until it's done."

I caught the twitch of his lips which hinted that he wanted to smirk. I knew he believed me.

I smiled at him before moving a little closer. We were in the private room that we always used when I was running tests or studying.

Where no one could bother us.

"Alright then. I'll just have to prove it to you. Lie down so you'll be comfortable. I don't know how long it will take."

I shrugged off my outer robes and hung it over a chair as Azryal reclined on a chaise. I moved to the side of him with a smile tugging at my lips. He noticed and smiled back.

"Okay. Do you want me to tell you what I'm about to do?"

He nodded without hesitation.

"I was reading one of the old books I snuck from Konoha's private archives and there was a whole section on magick. It said that chakra was usually harmless against just a touch of magick. I didn't know how I would be able to do anything to unblock your magick. It would be like blowing bubbles against a wall; harmless and pointless. It took me hours a day to read through the pages until I came across one section that suggested that if enough concentrated chakra was focused on a certain bit of magick that it would be able to break at a point. It was just a little section so I didn't get much details out of it but I'm willing to try it."

He nodded his head once before replying after a short silence, "Are you sure it won't break all of my magick that is building up behind Radek's magick barriers?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I'll just break one today and we'll monitor the reaction tomorrow. Couldn't you just produce more if the entire stream was broken?"

He shook his head, "I've never heard of such a thing ever occuring before so I wouldn't know."

"Do you still want to try?" I asked hesitantly.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't have a choice. It's the closest I've come in years."

A sudden thought occurred to me, "No one has tried to use their magick to break the barriers before? I'm sure it would take less effort seeing as how chakra is weaker."

He shook his head again, "Radek was too smart. No one has been able to use their magick to see what was exactly wrong with me. Their magick just stopped against my skin, sometime burning me a little, sometimes a lot."

"Then how do you know my chakra won't do some kind of damage once it reaches the barriers?" I asked, a little less enthusiastic.

"I don't. We'll just have to risk it."

I nodded my head firmly before moving closer, "Alright. Let's start then."

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes before shrouding my hands in the green healing chakra. I positioned my hands above Azryal's bare chest and exhaled slowly as I felt my chakra seep into him, flowing warmly through his veins. I came upon one magick barrier in his arm, thinking it would be safer to experiment on his left arm rather than near any of his organs or his legs. I could feel his magick pushing against the foreign barrier, building up and pushing against its narrow restraints. I inhaled again as I gathered as much chakra as I could fit in that one small area and I shoved it against the barrier, keeping a steady flow of rushing chakra focused on the center of the barrier continuosly pushing into it. A few minutes passed by feeling like hours and I felt my chakra steadily draining before I noticed the first crack in the barrier. Containing my excitement I surged more and more chakra against that small crack and more cracks appeared immediately after. I gathered up my last bit of chakra and thrust it against the barrier and felt it shatter against the narrow confines of Azryal's arm. I felt him flinch as his built up magick surged forward in a rush, tearing through my remaining chakra in its path.

I opened my eyes to catch a glimpse of my green healing chakra flicker out as my last drop of chakra evaporated. I raised my eyes to meet Azryal's gold ones. He was staring at me wide-eyed and a big grin graced his beautiful face. I gave him a weak smile before he flung his arms around me in his excitement and gratitude. I sagged against his chest, my legs giving out beneath me and my world went black to the emperor's grateful 'thank yous' and 'you did its'.

* * *

It took forever to unblock every single barrier. It took me an entire day to replenish my chakra reserves only to use it all up again the next day. After a week everyone started noticing the toll it was taking on my body. Azryal wanted me to stop and recover for an entire week and I refused because I could sense the reluctance in his manner while he said it. He wanted to be healed almost as much as he didn't want his only healer to die right in the middle of it.

I staggered against the chaise before collapsing onto it as Azryal relished in the feel of his newly replenished body and the magick coursing freely through his veins. I gazed up at him tiredly, feeling unconsciousness creeping up on me but being able to fight it off after three and half months of the same thing.

Azryal turned to look at me as if seeing me for the first time. I could practically see his face melt into the gratitude he wasn't afraid to express. I gave him a tired smile that I knew looked pitiful.

He smiled as he walked to stand in front of me. "I owe you so much, Sakura."

I shook my head weakly as I craned my neck to look up at his face from my seat on the chaise, "It's my job as a ninja of Konoha."

He shook his head in wonderment, "No. You had the chance to take as long as you wanted at your leisure. You could have returned to Konoha as many times as you pleased. But you stayed here and worked day after day to help me. I don't know how to repay you." He was now sitting next to me, the full length of his leg pressed against mine.

My emerald orbs met his golden ones as he leaned closer and I felt his thumb and forefinger grasp my chin to tilt it upward as he captured my lips in a tender kiss. I stiffened immediately before my eyes fell shut and I melted into the kiss, my lips opening just a bit as invitation. He took it without a moment's hesitation, his tongue filling my mouth in sweet warmth before mine was able meet his.

The kiss lasted as long as it took for us to lose our breath and we broke apart simultaneously to catch it again. I smiled up at him drunkenly, my eyelids fluttering, my torso swaying back and forth as if I really was intoxicated. I was drunk from the stress of the past three and half months and the unexpected thrill and pleasure from that one forbidden kiss.

He noticed my limp sway and caught me as I fell against his chest, my eyes closed in bliss. The last thing I felt before the blackness took me was a soft kiss to my forehead and the blanket of warmth that surrounded me as strong arms wrapped around me.

And the first thing I thought upon waking up the next afternoon was if it was all just a dream.

A dream of impossibilities...

* * *

**End Chapter Four: _Time After Time_**

**Pronounciations:**

**Riina- Ree nuh**

**Kyston- Kiss tin**

**REVIEW PLEASE!!**

**yuru**


	5. One Step Closer

**Hey look how fast I got this one to you guys! I think only a month passed! yay! **

**I think I've been reading too much manga because this one seemed a little more lighter and humorous than the other chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Naruto though I DO own Saarik and everything in it!**

_**Enjoy! xoxoxo**_

* * *

**LAND OF ENCHANTMENT**

**Chapter Five**

_One Step Closer  
_

I sighed as I stared up at the gates of Konoha. My back ached from running for so long in a crouched position. I stretched my arms high above my head to stretch out my back before letting my arms fall limply to my sides.

The sun was high in the sky behind me; it was probably almost ten o'clock already. I glanced behind me before trudging past the overbearing wooden gates. _Not nearly as intimidating as Saarik's gates. _My heart clenched wistfully at the memory.

I forced my face to be blank as I passed the morning gate guards; no one I recognized. I nodded in greeting to them before pointing myself in the direction of the Hokage Tower. I wasn't expected because I hadn't sent a messenger before me.

_Actually, I _was_ the messenger..._

I smirked at the excitement of seeing my sensei's face when I walked into her office.

As I walked deeper into the village the crowd of people grew more dense. No one paid me any mind as I briskly headed for the Hokage tower that rose in the distance. I could have just transported myself in an instant but I hadn't seen Konoha in two years. I relished in the familiar buildings I passed by and the same familiar people.

_It feels as if nothing's changed...only me._

After a little more than a half and hour passed before I made it to the Hokage tower. I skipped entering through the front doors and I just walked up the side of the building using my chakra to stick to the wall. I slipped into the Hokage's office window and was pleased to see Tsunade's blonde head resting face down on her desk. I listened for her soft snoring in the quiet office and smirked at the high piles of documents collecting on her desk.

I walked over and bent my head over her slumbering one. After making up my mind I opened my mouth to yell something in her ear to wake her up but I missed my chance when the doors to the office flung open to reveal Shizune-san with TonTon, their pet pig with pearls.

Shizune let out a shrill scream before dropping TonTon and rushing to me. Tsunade jumped up in a panic yelling that she only had two drinks and it was none of Shizune's business. She shut her mouth when she saw Shizune rush over to pull me into a massive bear hug.

"I knew it was you, Sakura-chan! I'd never mistake your chakra!"

Tsunade looked at me in shock before shoving Shizune off me and pulling me into another back-breaking hug.

"Sakura! When did you get back! I've missed you! You look so grown up! She's not our little _Sakura-chan _any more, Shizune!" She laughed as she let me go to step back and look me up and down.

I was wearing an outfit that a local woman made for me in Saarik. I told her to fashion it as close as she could to my ninja clothes I had brought with me two years before. I had grown a little taller and my body had filled out more which meant that I didn't fit perfectly into my old ninja clothes any more. The outfit she made fit perfectly but it was a little more exotic than I intended it to be. The dark red top was very flowy and loose and connected to a thick black collar around my neck. It was completely armless and the arm holes were so big it showed my sides all the way to my waist. Inside it I wore a skin-tight black tube top that ended right above my ribcage. The red top fell to just above mid-thigh and was held down by a thick black belt around my hips. I wore thick high-heeled black boots that went all the way up above my knees to meet the hem of the red top leaving just an inch of skin between it. I had on the same gloves from my last outfit; the black gloves that went past my elbows and had a single piece that went around my middle finger. My pink hair was in it's usual high ponytail with two thin braids on each side of my head held back by a thick black band. My hair fell just to mid-back.

The outfit was a little too flashy for my tastes but there wasn't any time to demand a new outfit or at least some modifications. So I had no choice but to wear it. I felt a blush creep up my covered neck as Tsunade and Shizune observed my new style.

I cleared my throat as the silence commenced and they seemed to take the hint.

Tsunade's smile flashed back as she addressed me, "Sakura! Why didn't you send a messenger ahead to inform us that you were coming? Did you need to do more research? It's been so long and we hadn't heard from you, I was starting to wonder if you had abandoned us." She laughed but I had a feeling that she had really harbored those thoughts. It hurt a little that she didn't have a little more faith in me.

I gave her a triumphant smile before replying, "Actually Tsunade-sensei, I have something I need to tell you." I glanced at Shizune before looking at Tsunade again. "I've finally finished--" I was cut off when a loud knock came from the doors and two unfamiliar jounin ninjas burst into the office.

"Hokage-sama, a strange carriage just approached the gates! It's accompanied with at least a dozen horses with foreign looking men riding them as well as a dozen or more on foot! What should we do? We haven't seen anything like this before! Ever!" Both men were kneeling before the Hokage with their heads bowed but you could feel their excitement and anxiousness rolling off of them.

Tsunade seemed to take in what they said before turning to face me suspiciously. "What exactly did you 'finish'?"

I gave her a wide grin before replying, "The emperor's come knocking."

* * *

I watched as the white and gold carriage pulled up the crowded street leading to Konoha's Hokage tower. All the villagers gathered around it when it stopped in front of the tower, the men on foot and on the horses pulled to a side to circle protectively around the carriage. The door to the carriage faced the tower where Tsunade-sensei stood with a group of her jounin ninjas behind her.

I pulled back into the crowd so as not to be recognized by anyone. I moved a little to the side of a large group to get a proper look at the carriage door as it swung open.

"What the hell is going on? What's old-lady Tsunade doing inviting these fishy guys into the village?!"

I stumbled as I recognized the unmistakeable voice of Naruto. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what group of people I just happened to hide behind; the very group I was trying not to be recognized by! Naruto and of course Sasuke were way in front with Hinata next to Naruto, clinging onto his arm, craning her neck to get a better glimpse. Shikamaru and Ino were next to Sasuke with Chouji behind them next to Kiba and Akamaru who was poking his big head between Ino and Shikamaru, sniffing the air. Tenten was there as well with Lee. They were also with a few other people that I didn't recognize. I guess they were the only ones not on any missions at the moment.

_Wow, what crappy luck..._

I edged back slowly behind a couple of people so I wouldn't be noticed. Not like anyone paid me any mind.

I glanced up at the carriage when I heard Ino and Tenten gasp simultaneaously. I rolled my eyes when I saw Azryal step gracefully from the carriage, his long silver hair loosely braided down his back with a thin gold coronet nestled in his hair. His white and gold robe blew softly in the wind, a gold rope tied around his waist to hold it together. From the gap on top of the robe you could see his bare chest and a thick gold necklace. He also wore baggy white pants with gold slippers.

I sighed as all around me the girls swooned.

_I told him to keep it down a notch. He's way too flashy._

There were more gasps and swooning around me when the emperor's Saadhia took up their places behind their emperor. Each one color coordinated to match their features with only their black capes to compare them.

_They seriously need new uniforms._ I smirked at the thought.

Kyston seemed to hear my thoughts as he slid his blue eyes my way and smirked.

"Oh my god! He just looked at me!" I heard Ino squeal and I covered my mouth to keep from snickering when I heard Tenten insist it was her he smiled at.

_So predictable._ _Some people never do change._

I watched as Azryal approached Tsunade and he smiled slightly before tilting his head slightly down to greet her respectfully. She returned the gesture before saying something I couldn't make out. Then she smiled back and led the way into the tower. The crowd around me grew silent as Azryal paused before following after her with his Saadhia close on his heels. All of the jounin with Tsunade went along as well.

_Heh. Azryal faltered because no one ever led him; he was always the first. He has to learn that in a ninja's world there's no such thing as _royalty. _Only strength and talent. _

I took a deep breath before poofing myself into Tsunade's office to wait for everyone. I didn't see Naruto and the others look up in shock as a flurry of cherry blossoms engulfed them before being carried off in the wind.

* * *

Tsunade entered her office with the foreign entourage close on her heels. She stopped suddenly as she saw Sakura leaning against the windowsill, a smirk playing on her face. The Hokage raised an eyebrow before assuming her seat behind her desk as the emperor entered along with his three men and her group of jounin.

She glanced at Sakura, "Why'd you get back so quickly?"

"Wanted to see your face. You look a little flustered." Sakura smiled as her sensei clenched her teeth in annoyance.

Sakura looked up when she felt numerous eyes on her. She smirked at Azryal and his men before it fell off her face as the large group of jounin started to pile into the office.

"Uh, sensei. Is so many bodyguards necessary? They can barely fit in the room."

Tsunade looked up at the men filing into the room before standing abruptly. "What are you fools doing? I said I only wanted Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Shizune! Get back downstairs!"

Sakura paled a bit when she heard Kakashi would be joining them. She didn't need his amused looks when he saw that she was back. She looked at Azryal and noticed he looked a bit uncomfortable standing awkwardly in the middle of the office as Tsunade yelled at her men. There was only one chair in the office and it belonged to the Hokage.

Sakura let out an aggravated sigh when she realized Azryal would take offense and think Tsunade was rude for not offering him a seat.

"Ah, excuse me, sensei but don't you think his highness would like to sit?" Sakura strained as Tsunade looked at her in surprise. Then realization dawned as she called back one of her jounin to go fetch one of the comfy chairs from the library.

After his royal highness was situated comfortably and Sakura made sure he didn't feel offended she looked up at the three people behind the Hokage; one directly next to Tsunade with a polite smile plastered on her face, one leaning against the wall behind the Hokage's chair, and one nestled on the windowsill, his one visible eye annoyingly focused on Sakura, amusement glinting in their depths. His eye ran up and down the length of her and she cringed in her spot by the door.

Sakura tried to focus on the conversation between her sensei and Azryal.

"I'm extremely happy and relieved to hear that you've been successfully healed by my apprentice. If anything I'm glad to have her back." Tsunade smiled politely.

"Yes. She was... a pleasure to have. She's one of the hardest workers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

_'He's saying _'pleasure'_ too much...'_ Sakura thought as she felt the blush creeping up her neck. She clenched her teeth, forcing it down; she still felt Kakashi's eye on her.

"Well, I hope our original agreement is still to be kept." Sakura perked up at this; Tsunade was prodding the real reason Azryal had shown up. The real reason he ventured farther than any other previous emperor.

Azryal smiled, "Yes, of course Hokage-san. Though why you would refuse payment in gold for such a simple request is beyond me."

"Well, if you agree then you will soon know." Tsunade smiled conspiratorially at Azryal who blinked at her.

_'They're not saying anything obvious! What deal did sensei make with Azryal? How does this affect the whole of Konoha! Why does Azryal look confused?? What is sensei scheming? Why did she refuse gold?!'_ Sakura fumed as she looked between Tsunade and Azryal.

"I hope you will stay for a while before returning home?" Tsunade smiled as she rested her chin on her linked fingers.

"Yes, of course. The horses as well as the men need to rest. I thank you for your hospitality. I hope to return the favor in the future." Azryal returned the smile.

"Right. Shizune would you lead his highness and his men to the guest house? Thank you." Shizune bowed before leading the way out the door. Azryal stood to his feet and turned to lead his men out after her. As he passed Sakura he caught her eye before disappearing around the corner. Kyston smirked at her, Rene grinned broadly, and Galen just nodded in acknowledgement.

As the door clicked behind them Sakura pushed off the wall in annoyance, "What the hell was that, sensei?! You didn't reveal anything! How does this little deal between you and Azryal affect 'all of Konoha'? _What _is_ this little deal between you two?!_"

"'Azryal?' Hmm. It seems you've gotten rather close to _his highness_, huh?" Tsunade smirked, annoyingly yet skillfully avoiding the questions, as Sakura fumed a blush crept up her cheeks, whether from anger or embarassment you couldn't tell.

"Sakura when did you get back?" Kakashi piped in before Sakura could retaliate, "You weren't with those guys when they rolled into the village."

Sakura heaved an exaggerated sigh before turning to Kakashi, "I came ahead of them as their messenger to inform the Hokage of their approach so she wouldn't think they were invading Konoha or something."

All of a sudden Jiraiya pushed off the wall and headed for the door and without a word pulled it open.

Sakura stuttered at his retreating back, "J-Jiraiya-san where are you going so randomly?"

Jiraiya leaned back in to smile broadly at Sakura, "I have a new idea for my next volume. Nice outfit by the way, I think I might use it in the new book."

"W-What?! Your perverted books? Don't reference me in those disgusting books! Jiraiya-san!" Sakura yelled after Jiraiya as the door closed shut behind him.

Sakura sighed as she slumped into the chair Azryal recently vacated.

"You look tired Sakura-chan. You should get some rest." Tsunade teased.

"Don't call me that! And I'm not leaving until you tell me what you're planning! How is your deal going to concern 'all of Konoha'? I've spent the past five years keeping up your end of whatever bargain you made with Saarik's emperor! I deserve to know!"

"In all due time, Sakura. Stop trying to push guilt onto me." Tsunade scolded as she leaned back in her chair.

Sakura stared accusingly at her before glancing at the window before she shot up straight in her seat as she glanced frantically around the room. "Where did Kakashi go?!"

"Hm? Oh he mumbled something about being late for a meeting with Naruto and Sasuke-kun before disappearing through the window. I need to start locking that thing."

"What? When did this happen? How come I didn't notice anything?!"

"Because you were too busy blushing over being used in Jiraiya's next dirty book." Tsunade smirked.

"_Wh-aaat? _I was not! And he's not using _me_, he's just using my outfit!" Sakura stated haughtily as she fought down the blush in her cheeks.

Tsunade's smirk turned into a motherly smile as Sakura slumped back into her seat in embarrassment. "Sakura, I'm serious you need to get some rest. Go home and when you're all rested we can have a chat about what's going on. Okay?"

Sakura nodded silently before getting up and heading for the door this time instead of the window. She looked back at Tsunade before leaving and gave her a small smile. Then she was gone.

As she entered her apartment she heaved a sigh at the dusty furniture and dead plants. Nothing in the apartment triggered the thought of '_home'_. When she thought of home she thought of a sparkling ocean, exotic faces, and a palace that reflected the sky.

* * *

I awoke around noon. I was shocked at how long I slept for. _I guess sensei really does know me better than my own parents._ I paused as I thought of them. I hadn't visited them since I was sixteen. Even when I came back two years ago I didn't have the time to visit them because I was so busy researching in the library and then Naruto and Sasuke had returned.

I rolled off the bed and headed for my closet. After a couple of minutes of pulling every piece of clothing out and discovering that nothing fit very decently I stomped into the moldy bathroom to take a quick shower before settling on a pair of loose black shorts that stopped below my butt and a loose red t-shirt that I usually wore to sleep. It had a washed out white ring printed on the front. The shirt stopped right where the shorts began so glimpses of skin was seen as I moved. Today was not a day of modesty, sadly. I wore my same boots from the day before to complete my outfit.

_Later I'll have to wash my clothes from yesterday. I need to do some shopping._ I was annoyed with myself for not thinking of bringing extra clothes with me. I swore I had more clothes in my apartment that would fit me. I heaved a sigh before grabbing a black pouch and throwing some money into it before heading for the door.

As I stepped onto the crowded street I inhaled a deep refreshing breath before heading off into the shopping district. I spent three hours shopping and I ended up with four new outfits as well as some new underwear and other hygiene-related things.

As I was thinking of where to go to grab something to eat the delicious smell of ramen from the Ichiraku wafted through the air and my heart clenched as I was reminded of Naruto. I spotted the little ramen booth and noticed that there was only one person sitting there. I hesitated for a second before deciding 'what were the odds?' and made my way to have some ramen.

Apparently the odds were against me; Naruto sat by himself gulping down what looked like his third bowl of ramen. I tried to back away slowly behind the curtain so he wouldn't notice, my chakra hidden securely so as not to be recognized but I bumped into someone.

"Sakura-san?"

I froze at the meek voice and wanted to just poof away when Naruto dropped his half-full bowl of ramen as he spun around. His blue eyes widened when he saw me and he almost fell off his stool as he stumbled to his feet.

"S-Sakura? So it is true! Kaka-sensei told us that you had come back! It's so great to see you!" He pulled me into a tight hug. I stiffened before I returned the hug. I wasn't going to be the depressing girl from two years ago around him or Sasuke. Everyone else seemed to have accepted them back; why couldn't I?

When we pulled apart I noticed that the person I had bumped into was Hinata. She had grown a little taller but she was still a head shorter than I was. She still wore baggy clothes but not to the extreme like when she was younger and more shy. She had a zip up dark blue sweater that ended right where her knee-length cargo shorts started. A white tank top could be seen where the sweater was zipped up halfway. Her hair had gotten longer in the front and shorter as it went behind her head. Her Leaf forehead protector was still secured around her neck. Ankle-high ninja sandals completed the outfit.

I smiled at her, "Nice to see you Hinata-san. How are you?"

"Very well. Did you come to buy some ramen? Why don't you join us?" She returned the smile as she sat on the stool next to Naruto's.

Naruto was still standing in front of me with an unsure look on his face. He looked as if he were treading on thin ice; any moment I'll just break like the last time we met. When he noticed me staring at him, he covered up his uncertainty with a big Naruto-like grin.

"Yeah! Sakura-chan join us!" He said as he resumed his seat on the stool, ready to start gobbling up some more ramen.

I didn't bother telling him not to call me Sakura-chan. I took the seat next to Hinata and ordered some miso ramen with beef. As I waited for my order I leaned my elbow on the counter with my head resting on my palm as I regarded the couple next to me.

"Are you two on a date?" I asked bluntly.

Naruto choked on his ramen and a blush crept up Hinata's cheeks. She smiled at me shyly before raising her left hand to show me the glimmering ring on her ring finger.

My head nearly fell off my palm as my eyes widened. "You guys are married!?" I nearly screeched as I sat up straight to grab her hand to inspect the ring.

She laughed and Naruto gulped down more ramen to avoid showing his blush.

"No, Sakura-san. We're engaged. For two months now."

"Oh." I nodded my head as I dropped her hand. Hinata looked down smiling at her fresh bowl of ramen.

"Congratulations. I'm really happy for you guys. When's the wedding?" I asked as I gave them a wide smile which went unnoticed since neither one was looking at me.

"We haven't decided yet. I think maybe in a couple of months. Naruto's about to leave for a mission so when he gets back we'll probably set a date."

I nodded my head again as I stared at Naruto. Then I grinned, "Why're you so quiet Naruto? I've never seen you this embarrassed!" I laughed when he looked up at me sheepishly, his bowl of ramen empty which gave him no excuse to avoid facing me anymore.

He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. After that I settled into my fresh bowl of ramen and chatted with Hinata while Naruto added in his bits but mostly he just watched me talk. I guess he was a little confused with the change in me. When we were kids I was a bratty know-it-all that pretended to be too high and mighty to be friends with "losers" like Naruto and even Lee. And then when we met when I was nineteen I was stoic and angry, taking out all of my past emotions of being the only one left behind out on the two boys who didn't need me but whom I needed. Now I was cheerful and friendly and even a little carefree. I'd gotten past all those depressing emotions.

_He must be so confused! __He probably thinks I'm the biggest fake! _I thought as I walked away from the Ichiraku after spending two hours chatting with Hinata long after I had finished my bowl of ramen. I made my way back to my old apartment to take a shower and to try on a new outfit to visit my parents. It was around five-thirty when I arrived at my apartment and nearly six-ten when I left. I was wearing a simple white dress with a yellow hem. It had two thick straps over my shoulders and the neckline was square shaped and went up to just below my collarbone. The hem ended just above my knees. The back of the dress had two yellow straps that criss-crossed each other over my bare skin. It only showed half of my back. I held my pink hair up with two yellow and white chopsticks, leaving a few strands to frame my face. Yellow strappy sandals that were an inch high completed my outfit. I didn't wear any jewelry except a simple gold bracelet around my left wrist I had gotten in Saarik.

The sky was darkening to a beautiful orange and yellow as I walked down the thinning streets. I stopped in front of a small flower shop and clenched my fists. I hesitated for a second before entering. The aroma of fresh flowers wafted through the air and I inhaled the sweet scent deeply. I spotted a girl behind a counter arranging a pot of pansies and smiled.

"Long time no see Ino-pig." I drawled as I leaned against the counter.

Ino froze and then spun around sharply, her waist length blonde hair whipping around her. Her eyes widened before she shot around the counter screeching my name and then I was overbalanced as she threw herself onto me and we both fell to the floor. She didn't seem to mind as tears streamed down her face and she clung to my neck, nearly choking me. Finally, I managed to get her to let go and sit back.

We both smiled broadly at each other before bursting into giggles.

"When did you get back?" She asked as she wiped her tears, a smile still stretching her face.

"Just yesterday." I replied as I climbed to my feet and offered her a hand to help her up.

"Really? Did you have anything to do with those gorgeous guys that came yesterday to see Tsunade-sensei?" She asked as she took my hand and was heaved up to stand beside me.

I nodded, a little confused at her calling Tsunade 'sensei'. "Are you apprenticed under Tsunade?"

She nodded excitedly, "So you traveled with all those cute guys? I'm so jealous Forehead-girl!"

I rolled my eyes, "It wasn't that exciting. It was actually pretty boring. I can't believe you're apprenticed under Tsunade! Are you going to become a healer too?"

"Yeah. I thought if you could become such a big-time healer then so could I." She replied nonchalantly as she strolled around the counter to resume arranging her pansies.

I was a little irked at her childish insult but I brushed it off. "Well, I'm happy for you. I'm sure you'll become a really strong healer." She agreed whole-heartedly as I strolled around the small shop, examining the flowers. I picked out a bouquet of assorted flowers and brought it to the counter. Ino looked a little surprised when she saw that I wanted to buy flowers.

"Are those for me?" She laughed as she leaned against the counter.

I rolled my eyes, "No, stupid. These are for... someone. How much?" I asked quickly.

She regarded me coolly before answering, "On the house. Though I should make you pay for them 'cuz you didn't come here to just see me." She pouted. "Now get out of my shop." She stated sulkily as she turned her back on me to return to her pansies.

I smiled at the back of her head before saying softly, "Thanks Ino." And then I left as silently as I had come.

* * *

I stared down at the cold headstone of my parents. They were laid to rest side-by-side. I softly laid the bouquet of flowers I had gotten from Ino's shop down in front of the headstone that was half my size. Then I knelt in the soft soil with my hands folded neatly in my lap. I didn't care that I was getting my new dress dirty. I just stared at the headstone for what seemed like hours. I only came back to reality when I felt warm tears roll down my cheeks and fall on my hands. I said a little prayer over my parents' grave as I let the tears fall.

They were both killed during a mission when I was fourteen. They were sent on a simple scouting mission to feel out the area where an entire village was massacred near the border we shared with the Village Hidden in the Grass. The village was on our side of the border, deep in the forests. They spent a few weeks just trying to find the small village and when they did all they found was blood and death. After a few days of scouting out the area around the village and doing some investigating in the nearby villages of Grass, Rain, and Waterfall they decided to return to Konoha, the only clue they had was that the Akatsuki was somehow involved.

How they knew this was because as they were leaving they were ambushed by a group of seven Akatsuki and Konoha's group of fourteen ANBU ninja were killed in battle except for one man who managed to escape and return to Konoha on the verge of death. He was healed as much as possible before he gave his report and then was questioned. After four days he died. The only link to my parents' death died.

After he had returned with the location of the village where everyone was killed, a group of twenty ANBU were sent to retrieve the bodies of their former comrades and a day was set for the funeral of every person who gave their life for such a simple mission.

I don't remember much because I went through it in a daze. Weeks, months passed and I had fallen into a depression that no one could pull me out of. My parents' house was empty as I moved in with Tsunade who became like a mother for me. The only thing that I could ever focus on in that dark time was learning how to heal people; how to save lives. My training was what pulled me out of my depression sixth months later. When I turned fifteen I sold my parents' house and put all of their prized possessions in storage before moving into my own apartment. Then I delved into becoming the best healer I could ever become. I grew obsessed and I know I scared Tsunade and even Ino at times with my stubborn vigor. I would spend hours in the library soaking up as much as I could and Tsunade would practically have to ban me from the library for a couple of days to get me to eat properly and take care of myself.

The children of the other ANBU who were killed on the same mission went into acts of revenge similar to how Sasuke was. But they would only return unsatisfied and more angry after weeks of searching for the ones who murdered their parents. I probably would have been the same if I wasn't a healer. I reasoned with myself, saying that I would rather heal lives than tear them away. I would rather save someone's life and prevent anyone else feeling what I felt than to be the cause of those feelings for someone else; whether they be Akatsuki or not. Whether they be murderers or victims; a life is a life.

Now because of that painful ordeal I became stronger. I never would have reached the high level I was at when I was sixteen if my parents weren't taken from me. Instead of wallowing in self-pity like I did when I had fallen into a depression, I rose above it and became stronger for it. If it hadn't happened, I would never have been qualified to go to Saarik; I would never have met Azryal or Kyston, or Riina or any of the others.

As I stared down at the headstone of my parents, my tears dry and uncomfortable on my cheeks, I felt as if my purpose in life was finally revealed before my eyes. A smile tugged at my lips as I stared up at the star-studded sky. I distantly thought, _"When did it get so dark...?"_ before closing my eyes and feeling the lightness in my mind at the knowledge that I now knew my path.

After a second I opened my eyes again and bowed my head before my parents' grave and whispered another prayer before climbing to my feet and stretching out the stiffness in my knees. I spun on my heel and headed for the guest house where my future awaited.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE!! They really speed up my inspiration!! XD**

**yuru**


	6. Let Me Live

**Woo this one came out pretty fast! Lots of stuff revealed in this chapter. I hope it was convincing enough. **

**A/N: I switched the rating to M because there's some cursing. OMG she said the "f" word! gasps!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Naruto but I DO own Saarik and everything in it! yup yup**

**_Enjoy! xoxoxoxo_**

* * *

**LAND OF ENCHANTMENT**

**Chapter Six**

_Let Me Live_

Konoha's guest house was in a secluded area behind the Hokage tower. I walked down the quiet dirt path with only the chirp of insects to accompany me. The path was lit with the occasional oil lamp so I wasn't in complete darkness. After about seven minutes of walking I finally spotted the house. It was a huge house, almost like a mansion. There was a round balcony above the double front doors with five steps leading up to a porch. It was well-lit all around and I spotted a small koi fish pond to the left of the path as I headed for the door. A wide path led around the koi fish pond to behind the house and I noticed the fresh tracks of the carriage that Azryal had ridden in as well as hoof marks from the horses.

I climbed the steps and used the heavy brass knocker to bang on the door. I waited about a minute before I banged on the door again. The door finally opened to reveal Galen. He was still dressed in the same outfit he had arrived in but it didn't look dirty.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement before stepping back to let me in.

"Why are _you_ answering the door, Galen? Azryal brought enough servants to attend to these minial tasks." I teased as I slipped off my shoes to put them neatly in a corner before stepping further into the house.

He only shrugged before replying, "No one else seemed to hear the door. I wasn't going to ignore any visitors just because of my status."

"Geez, so _serious._" I grumbled before following after him. We entered the living room after the entrance hall. It was spacious and had a large couch that formed a half circle in the middle of the room with a large low square table. To the left of the couch a sliding shoji door was open to reveal a bigger porch with a few men lounging on the outside furniture and one snoring on a hammock.

To the right of where I stood a wide staircase with fifteen steps led to a loft that could be seen over the living room through the banisters. A hall behind the couch led to a door to a bathroom and under the staircase an archway led into a huge kitchen with a big sturdy wooden table with ten chairs around it.

"Did you come to see his highness?" Galen asked as he turned to face me.

I tore my gaze from staring around the house in curiosity and looked at Galen, "Yes. I needed to speak to him about something. Where is he?"

"Upstairs. I left him an hour ago when he was getting ready for his bath. Is it something regarding the Hokage?" He asked as he headed for the couch to lounge on it.

"Um, not exactly. It's something more..._personal._" I mumbled the last word and he turned his head to glance at me curiously.

"Why is your dress dirty?" I looked up surprised; _why did he just change the subject?_

"I, uh, I fell." I blushed at my obvious lie as I bent my head. A few guys came in at that moment from the porch and passed me to enter the kitchen. They called out greetings to me as they passed and all I could do was nod my head and smile.

_Why do I feel so nervous now...?_

Before Galen could get the chance to continue their conversation I piped in, "Do you think he's done with his bath now? I think I'll go check." I said as I hurried up the steps. I felt his eyes on me as I went upstairs, cursing that there wasn't a wall to block his gaze. He could still see me on the loft as well but when I peeked down from over the banister he was watching outside.

The loft was spacious as well but more narrow than the living room. There were three halls on the loft, the middle one being the widest. I made a wild guess and went down the middle hall. It was lined with wall lamps and nice paintings and potted plants. After a few steps the hall split three ways. I kept going straight and finally came to a double white door. It wasn't overbearing but you could tell this would be a big room for a special guest.

I knocked politely and waited. A young servant answered. He bowed his head when he recognized me before moving back to allow me to enter. It was awkward that he was a guy; usually the female servants were inside and the male ones outside doing more strenuous tasks. But then I remembered that Azryal hadn't wanted to put any of the girls through the long journey through the desert and forests so he only took male servants.

"Good evening, is this his highness's room?" At the servant's polite nod I continued, "Is his highness finished with his bath?" I asked hesitantly before entering.

"Yes, I am." A familiar voice answered from behind the servant. "You may leave." The servant bowed before backing out of the room past me.

I looked up to find Azryal standing before me wearing nothing but a black pair of loose pants clinging dangerously low on his hips. His hair was damp and hung loose around him. He had a fluffy white towel hanging around his neck.

He smiled when I met his eyes. "Please, come in." He ushered before turning his back to head to a little lounge area with two overstuffed chairs around a small glass table with a vase of assorted flowers on top. Behind the chairs double glass-paned doors led to a small balcony that overlooked the back of the house and a large barn not too far off. To the left of the chairs was a big bed with white sheets and a pile of pillows as well as a fluffy blanket. To the left of the bed was a door opened halfway that led into a big bathroom.

I finally entered the room, purposefully leaving the door open but he noticed and asked me to close it. I turned to close it glumly before taking the empty seat next to him.

I sank nicely into the chair and I relished in the feeling before looking up. I was startled slightly when I met his eyes and knew that he had been watching me. I berated myself when I felt the light blush creep up my cheeks.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked before leaning back in the chair to cross his legs. His elbow rested on the left armrest so his forefinger and thumb could support his chin. A slight smirk played on his lips.

_Sexy..._

The distant thought startled me and I sat up straight. I cleared my throat before speaking, "I came here to ask you something." I began, proud that my voice didn't sound shaky or wistful like my thoughts did.

"And that would be?" He tilted his head slightly and my heart skipped a beat.

_Is he _trying_ to seduce me?!_

I felt annoyance creep up instead of a blush. _I'm trying to be serious here!_ I clenched my fists before continuing, my mouth strangely dry, "I was wondering if it would be possible to... return to Saarik with you." I watched as surprise flashed over his features before his chin slipped from his fingers and he quickly sat up straighter. I noticed the pink tinge to his cheeks and realization dawned on what I had implied, "I-I mean not _with you_, just with all of you guys, to just _live_ in Saarik. To start a new life there." I looked down at my lap when he didn't reply for a long time.

My fists clenched tighter as the silence commenced. _Oh god. What am I doing? It sounded so much more realistic in my head. He probably thinks I'm a fool! I'm a freaking ninja! I don't belong in Saarik! He's going to tell me 'no'! He's going to laugh at me! _The frantic thoughts burst into my head, one right after the other. I cringed as I awaited his ridicule.

"So," His voice broke through the silence causing me to tense, "you mean you don't want to return with _just _me?"

My eyes widened as I looked up at him. A soft smile was on his face and his golden eyes were gentle as he looked at me. My face was hot and I knew I was blushing profusely like a teenager.

I watched as his face got closer and closer and then I felt his lips brush against mine. Memories of our first and only kiss flashed through my mind. I remembered the awkwardness I had felt around him after waking up the next day after he was fully healed. He had acted as if nothing had happened and as the days passed I made myself believe it hadn't happened either.

Now, I relished in the fact that he was kissing me, that our first kiss wasn't just a dream. I felt my eyes slide shut as he deepened the kiss, his tongue prodding my lips apart to fill my mouth. His big warm hands cradled my face as if I would break. My hands slid up his bare chest to pull him closer until he was on his knees in front of me, cradled between my legs, our lips never parting.

_I had an _emperor_ on his knees in front of me!_ I mused distractedly.

Soon, his hands fell to my waist and my arms circled around his neck so I could bury my hands in his silver hair. His lips left my mouth as he slid them down my neck, his tongue darting out to taste my skin. All thoughts flew out of my head as he stopped at the spot just above where my neck became my shoulder and he pulled my flesh into his mouth and sucked hard. I gasped as my eyes flew open and my hands tightened in his hair at the strange combination of pain and pleasure.

He gave my neck one last lick before returning to my mouth to resume our passionate kiss. I felt him tug at my hair and then my pink locks fell in a cool curtain around us. Then his hands ran up and down my back before he settled on sinking his fingers into my hips to pull me closer, almost off the chair.

We were so deep in our own world that we didn't hear the soft knock or the door opening slowly or even the awkward clearing of a throat.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" came a blunt, flat voice.

We pulled away from each other in shock as Azryal fell back on his butt and I looked away embarassed at Kyston's blank stare. I let my long strands of hair fall around me to hide my blushing face as I looked at my toes on the floor.

I felt the soft whoosh of air as Azryal stood up quickly to address Kyston after clearing his throat. "Yes, you are." Azryal stated coldly as he straightened to his full height, his towering form becoming the intimidating emperor I had met for the first time when I was sixteen. "What is it that you need?"

I expected Kyston to look hurt at Azryal's cold tone but he looked a little angry. "I just got word that the Hokage would like to meet with you privately to discuss the details of your deal. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock sharp is fine for her. Would you like me to send a confirmation?" Kyston asked stiffly.

"That's fine. You're dismissed." Azryal replied nonchalantly before resuming his seat, ignoring Kyston.

Kyston bowed slightly before clenching his jaw and straightening. He caught my eye and then looked away before leaving the room, closing the door with a firm click.

I don't know why, but I felt bad. I bit my lip as I glanced at Azryal before breaking the silence, "What was that all about?"

Azryal perked up at my voice as if he had forgotten I was there, "What are you referring to? What Kyston said or what we just did before we were interrupted?" He asked with a sly smirk.

I felt my cheeks heat up but I ignored his teasing, "No, what was with your cold attitude towards Kyston? Why did he look...angry?"

Azryal shrugged like it was no big deal before looking at me as he tilted his head, his hand buried in his hair as it supported his head, "Maybe he was jealous."

"Wha-What? Of what?!"

His smirk returned as he replied, "Of what he saw us _doing_." Then he became serious again, "I just let him know that I wasn't pleased that he had interrupted us."

I heaved an exaggerated sigh before throwing my head back to rest on the soft chair, my eyes staring up at the ceiling. My right arm was thrown over my forehead as I felt an uncomfortable ache begin between my eyes, "What _were_ we doing?" I mumbled.

"Want me to remind you? I could show you." He offered hopefully and I straightened to catch him running his eyes over my form.

"Stop joking around." I huffed as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm not joking." He said seriously as he threw his left arm over the back of the chair to regard me coolly.

I rolled my eyes as I stood up from the chair and headed for the door without another word. I grabbed the doorknob but before I could escape I felt Azryal grab my arm to spin me around so my back was pressed against the door. He leaned his forehead against mine and stared into my surprised eyes.

I felt my heart speed up, whether from fright or anticipation I couldn't tell. My eyes slid to his mouth as he spoke, "You wanted to know if you could return to Saarik. You have my permission as long as you promise to live in the palace." He brushed his lips against mine, I barely even felt it, "With me." He added softly.

My heart skipped a beat at his words, I licked my lips before answering and I saw his amber eyes flick down, their color darkening. "That's not such a difficult request." I whispered.

I watched as his lips twitched slightly as he smiled and he moved in to kiss me but I turned the doorknob that I had kept ahold of with my right hand and I kept my back to the door as it swung open away from Azryal. He looked surprised as I was suddenly gone from in front of him. I smiled when he looked up blankly and then I was gone. I hurried down the hall before he could catch me and pull me back into the room where I knew I wouldn't have made it out of for a _long_ while.

My heart was hammering against my chest as I hurried past the spot where the hall split into three ways. It felt like forever when I finally stepped through the archway that led to the loft. I leaned against the frame to calm myself down. For a second I felt a tickling at the back of my neck and I glanced over my shoulder. Down the hall where it split Kyston was leaning against the hall that led to the left. His eyes, looking black in the dim light, stared at mine. Then I blinked in confusion and he was gone. I heard the faint sound of his retreating steps.

_He looked sad. Was he really _jealous_? _

I put my hand over my heart as I felt it speed up again. I leaned more heavily against the frame as I lifted my hand higher while I shrouded it with my green healing chakra to get rid of the growing headache behind my eyes.

As I softly descended the steps I noticed that there wasn't anyone in the living room and the shoji door was slid shut. There was a lot of noise coming from the kitchen so I made my way to the front door and I slipped my sandals back on before leaving.

* * *

I woke up around nine thirty. I stretched my arms up high before rolling off the bed. Today I wanted to confront sensei to find out what she was planning and to also tell her what _I_ was planning. With a yawn I entered my bathroom to take a shower. I wanted to take as long as possible because Azryal was supposed to be having his meeting with Tsunade at 'nine o'clock sharp' and who knew how long that would take. When I looked at myself in the foggy mirror after my shower I was startled to find a dark bruise bright against my skin on my neck. I blushed deeply when I remembered how I had gotten it.

After I left the bathroom I headed for my closet to figure out what to wear. I picked out knee length white cargo pants that fit loose but still managed to show off my shape. I paired it with a dark red tube top that ended below my belly button and I threw on a white jacket that ended halfway down my torso and had elbow length sleeves. The collar on the jacket was high enough to hide the bruise on my neck which I had tried to cover as best as possible with my measly supply of make-up. I had on the same thin gold bracelet from the day before as well as a black choker with a red pendant. I tied my hair high on my head in its usual ponytail and slipped on matching red shoes to finish it off.

The day was cool as I made my way to one of my favorite shops that served delicious breakfasts. As I left around ten o'clock, munching on my last rice ball I noticed Naruto and Sasuke walking down the street. They didn't see me but I didn't try to hide this time. I tossed the last piece of my rice ball into my mouth as I made my way to Hokage tower.

I caught Naruto's eye as I passed in front of them and smiled as I greeted him. He smiled and nodded before he looked away then his eyes widened and shot back to me.

"Sakura-chan!" He stopped next to me in surprise. "I didn't think I'd see you so soon after yesterday! Where are you going?" He asked in his usual friendliness.

"Ah, I have to see Tsunade-sensei about something." I answered as I jabbed my thumb in the direction of the tower. I glanced at Sasuke and was a little annoyed that all he did was stare at me. "Did Sasuke forget how to speak?" I threw my question at Naruto but my eyes never left Sasuke's. His dark eyes widened in surprise before he 'hned'.

Naruto rolled his eyes before slapping a hand on Sasuke's back, causing him to stumble forward a bit. "Why are you being so shy, Sasuke?" Naruto laughed.

I put a hand on my hip as I looked at his flustered face. This was the guy I had devoted my life to loving when I was twelve. I had been practically obsessed with him. It was strange how I felt nothing but annoyance as I looked at him now nine years after he continuously rejected me.

"Where are you guys headed?" I asked, staring at Sasuke.

Naruto crossed his arms waiting for Sasuke to answer. His face was split into a huge smile.

Sasuke clenched his jaw before finally answering, "We're going to meet Kakashi." He threw out stoically.

"Why?" I asked, trying to hold back my laughter.

He gave me an annoyed glare before answering, "We train with him sometimes." He turned his glare to Naruto as if to say 'happy?' but Naruto just laughed.

"Yeah, we like to meet up with him." Naruto continued for Sasuke. "It kind of reminds us of the old days..." he trailed off when he realized what direction his chatter was headed in. "Uh, that is, I mean, he's a good teacher and even though we're twenty-one now and are jounin, we still like to get advice--"

"It's okay Naruto." I cut off his pathetic attempts at trying to cover up his mistake. I smiled at him, "I'm glad you guys are trying to keep the team together."

Naruto brightened at my assurance, "So will you come with us?"

Sasuke's eyes shot up to my face as I hesitated, "Um, I can't. I really have to see sensei."

"But isn't Kaka-sensei your sensei too?" Naruto asked sadly, reminding me of his twelve-year-old self.

"Well, yeah, sort of. He taught me the basics, but I mean, Tsunade-sensei is the one who made me strong, made me who I am today." I smiled to soften my words. After a while it grew awkward, "So, I'll see you later, okay? Tell Kakashi I said 'hi'." I waved as I started to walk again. Naruto waved back with less enthusiasm while Sasuke just started to walk away with a slight nod in my direction.

I sighed when I turned my back on them. "That was incredibly awkward." I mumbled.

When I finally reached Hokage tower I went up the normal way instead of through the window in case Tsunade wasn't done with her meeting with Azryal. Shizune told me that he had left just five minutes ago so I made my way to her office.

I barged in without knocking and caught her with a sake bottle stuck to her mouth. She dropped it in surprise and guilt then shouted in surprise when it spilled all over her lap. She snatched it up before glaring at me angrily.

"Doesn't anyone know how to knock?" She ground out in annoyance as she stuck a cork in the bottle before grabbing some papers off her desk to pat her lap dry.

I raised an eyebrow before making my way into the office with a smirk on my face, "You owe me an explanation."

"What?" Tsunade snapped distractedly.

I hoisted myself onto her open windowsill to get comfortable. "You have to tell me what your deal was with the emperor." I stated matter-of-factly, sounding like my bossy twelve-year-old self.

"I don't _have_ to tell you _anything _after you just barge in here unannounced and wasting my sake." She replied sullenly.

I heaved a sigh as I rolled my eyes, "Okay, I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Now won't you tell me?" I pleaded.

"Okay okay." she sighed heavily, "But you better keep your mouth shut about it. I don't want it to become public knowledge just yet."

I hurriedly agreed so she would start.

She took a deep breath before swinging her chair to face me. She propped her elbows on her armrests to lace her fingers in front of her. Then she cleared her throat before starting, "After Sasuke and Naruto left when you were around fifteen there were numerous accounts all over the countries that the Akatsuki found a new ally. This ally was said to have a stronger than normal chakra. I don't have to tell you much for you to figure out this new 'ally' had the ability to use magick like Saarik's people. The Akatsuki had stopped chasing after the tailed beasts which everyone thought rather suspicious. It took me about a year to figure out that he was from an unknown foreign land."

"How'd you figure that out?" I interrupted.

"Because Konoha's secret force was sent to investigate and although most were killed in their efforts, about four returned with information about a land farther east and a sick emperor. I didn't send anymore scouts to find the city. I sent Jiraiya under the disguise that he was going to do more 'research for his dirty books' and he was able to find Saalihl. I don't know how he managed to convince someone to send a messenger to the emperor to offer my help but he managed to do it. They sent him back with the secret of entering Saarik. I'm the only one who read it though and I was the one who constructed your directions so you and I are the only outsiders I know of that know how to enter Saarik. Jiraiya had returned with a messenger for me to send back with what I wanted in return so that's how I struck a deal with the emperor."

"So, what is the deal?" I prodded.

"Nothing too complicated. I just wanted Saarik's alliance with Konoha and all of Konoha's allies so we can face this new threat that's joined with the Akatsuki. After you left for Saarik the Akatsuki began their search for the tailed beasts and they were able to find them a lot quicker than before. Now there's only two more tailed beasts left, one being Naruto. And from what's been happening lately, they've gotten stronger."

I nodded my head at her implication; Naruto was still in danger. "Is it true that Itachi was killed before Sasuke could get his revenge?" I asked softly.

Tsunade paused at my random question before answering, "Yes, apparently he didn't like becoming allies with the magick-user so he left the Akatsuki. He was labeled a traitor afterward and was killed by their leader. Our scouts were able to pick that up in their investigations. Why?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. Just wanted to know." I said softly.

"Well, that's the deal. The emperor is leaving the day after tomorrow. He's leaving one of his messengers for me to contact him. I told him I could have just sent you but he just smiled and said 'what if you were unavailable'. You wanna tell me what he meant?" Her gaze searched my face when I looked up at her.

I blushed slightly under her scrutiny and looked down again.

"Sakura?"

I flinched at her soft tone before sucking in a deep breath and looking up at her again, "I want to retire as a ninja."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock as we both slipped into silence. "Why?" Her voice ripped through the air and I felt tears burn my eyes as I thought of what I wanted to tell her.

I swallowed hard so I wouldn't cry before answering, "I want to return to Saarik."

Tsunade fell back against her chair as she stared at me. "But why? You've got such a bright future ahead of you. The jounin exams are coming up and you're one of our top healers. You want to give that future up?"

"Sensei," my voice cracked as I addressed her, "Saarik just feels _right_. I could become a healer there. They don't have very good healers in Saarik. If there's one thing magick isn't good at it's healing. I could help so many more people there. Besides Ino is being trained under you so you don't have to worry about losing a top healer because I know she'll become one of the best." My voice cleared and became more firm the longer I spoke.

"But what about the people here? The people who love you? How can you expect me to just let you leave?" I knew she was just talking about herself, that she didn't want me to leave her. My heart clenched when I saw her eyes become glossy and watched as a tear slid down her cheek.

"But sensei, I have to do what makes me happy. The only future I can think of that will make me happy is one in Saarik. I don't feel like I _belong_ here." I said softly as I bent my head when I felt my own hot tears building up to make my eyes blurry.

"You can go." I looked up at her strong voice in surprise and found her looking past me out the window. "You have my permission to live in Saarik but I won't allow you to retire from being a ninja." She looked at me then, her eyes hard. "You _do_ belong here Sakura. So when you grow fed up of your life in Saarik I order you to return to Konoha." She said it as if it was a punishment but I didn't care as I rushed towards her to throw my arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. I sobbed into her neck as I mumbled my 'thank yous'. I cried more for the fact that I would be leaving such a great person rather than because I would get the chance to live in Saarik.

She finally pulled my arms from around her complaining that I was getting snot all over her neck but I saw the softness in her eyes as she shooed me from her office so I could go pack and say my goodbyes. I only had one more full day before I left my old life behind. I would make the most of it.

* * *

After I met with Tsunade I returned to my apartment and packed everything that held value to me like old pictures and mementos as well as my new clothes and other things like that. Then I went to my landlord to tell him I was moving and he could get a new renter. I paid off my last month and then headed for the building where my parents' possessions were stored. I informed the owner that I would be moving and I paid off one more year. I told him I would send someone with more money from here on.

By that time it was around eight-thirty and I was surprised at how tired I felt from running around the village. So I retired for the night. The next day I headed straight for Ino's flower shop to tell her the news but her mother was there instead. She said Ino had went out a couple of minutes ago. I spent about forty-five minutes walking around hoping to run into someone but luck wasn't on my side.

I ended up going back to my apartment to take a nap. I woke around two o'clock when someone began pounding on my door. I groaned as I rolled off the bed to answer. I pulled a tiny shorts on under my faded baggy t-shirt before answering the door.

I fell back on my butt when I was punched hard in the face. I looked up in shock at a fuming Ino, her fist clenched at her side. I put a hand on my cheek before anger filled my eyes.

"What the hell, Ino!" I shouted as I stumbled to my feet.

"Don't start with me, Sakura!" she yelled as she took a step into my apartment. "What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?!" she nearly shrieked as she grabbed a fistful of my shirt and yanked me forward.

"What the hell are you talking about? I was just taking a freaking nap!" I yelled back in confusion.

She shook me hard, "What the fuck was Tsunade saying when she told me you were leaving? Huh?" she shook me again. "You were just going to disappear again without a word to me? Aren't we friends? I can't believe you!" she said as she let go of my shirt and stepped back. "Why do you keep hiding things from me? Do you know how I felt when she asked me if you had told me yet? I felt like a complete fool!" her voice cracked before she turned her back on me so I wouldn't see her tears.

I immediately deflated at her words. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way Ino. I went to your shop earlier today but your mom said you were out. I really wanted you to be the first to know. I can't believe I'm such an idiot for not thinking that you would be with Tsunade-sensei." I stared at the back of her head, hoping that we wouldn't part like this.

I heard her sniffle softly before she turned around to face me. "Why are you leaving?"

I bit my lip before answering, "I can't stop thinking about the place I lived in. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. I feel like I have a purpose there, I can heal people and help them. I just think of it as my _home_. This place doesn't feel like that, I don't think it's ever felt like that before." I gestured around me at my plain apartment, nothing personal about it after I packed everything away.

A long silence passed between us before Ino broke it, "I feel like an idiot now. I'm glad for you. I felt angry before because I wanted to be selfish and keep you with me. I didn't want you to leave me and live a better life than I do. I'm too selfish."

"No, I understand the future can be scary. But I know you have the guts and the willpower to make your life worthwhile."

"Sorry I hit you." She mumbled after another silence then she gave me a watery smile.

I smiled back before pulling her into a hug. "No big deal. You suck at punching so it didn't hurt much anyway." I teased.

She pulled away in mock anger, "What! You want me to change your mind?" She threatened as she shook her fist at me. We both started laughing after a second of staring defiantly into each other's eyes.

* * *

The next day I sat in a white carriage as I left my old life behind and faced the future. My eyes were blurry as I glanced back through the small carriage window at Konoha, not knowing when I'd see those familiar wooden gates again, when I'd return to those smiling faces. But I knew a bright future awaited me; I could feel it and I wouldn't be afraid.

_I _won't_ be afraid. _I thought as I looked at Azryal who was sitting across from me. He felt my eyes on him and caught my gaze before giving me an encouraging smile. I smiled back wishing I knew what the future held for me and hoping beyond anything that _he_ would play a very big part of it.

* * *

**Woo I hope you guys liked this chapter! I had a LOT of fun writing out that smexy scene between Azryal and Sakura. heh heh. I hope you like Saku/OC!**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!**

**yuru xoxoxo**


	7. Cinderella Story

**Hey sorry this took longer than I anticipated. I had MAJOR writer's block. I would just stare at the measly bit I had written for a while before I either wrote something that didn't work so I erased it or left without adding anything. _sigh_. I can't believe it took me this long to get this short, uneventful chapter out. Sorry it was shorter than I wanted and nothing major really happened; just Sakura's life...oh and I cleared up a few things, won't spoil it for ya! **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything Naruto related, but everything related to Saarik is MINE! **

**

* * *

Chapter Seven**

_Cinderella Story  
_

I stood just within the arch of the entrance behind the throne in the marble throne room. The sheer curtains draped around the throne made it hard for anyone on the other side to see my shadow. My bare arms leaned against the cold marble walls as I watched the common people of Saarik gather around the throne asking for assistance or just to offer gifts to the emperor.

I couldn't see Azryal's silver head from where I stood because he was sitting on the high-backed white marble throne. His three Royal Guards were positioned around the throne and the usual line of guards were set up by the numerous pillars in the room.

I smiled slightly at the flutter I felt when I heard his voice. I rested a palm on my slightly rounded belly and closed my eyes as I listened to his deep voice thank a young couple who had brought him a gift for helping them afford their dream house for their budding family. I clasped the gold necklace around my neck that symbolized my marriage to the emperor. Although there had been a huge opposition to Azryal's proposal to an outsider, and one with common-blood no less, Azryal had gone against all of his court advisers who he had always trusted and depended on and married me a year after I had returned to Saarik with him.

Within that year before I got married a conflict arose between Azryal and his childhood friend and trusted Royal Guard, Kyston and I found myself entangled in another love triangle, albeit a much more complicated one. Instead of the simple crush Ino and myself had on Sasuke when I was young, I was deeply in love with Azryal but had come to be best friends with Kyston and loved him a lot, though not like how I loved Azryal.

* * *

_I grabbed his arm and spun him to face me. The full moon's light was bright and haloed his blue hair. He avoided my gaze as I stared up at him in confusion._

_"Kyston, what's wrong? You've been so distant since we returned from Konoha. What's going on?" I kept my hold on his arm._

_He looked down at me sadly before replying, "Don't you get it yet?" He shrugged off my hold on his arm before disappearing into the darkness of the palace gardens._

_I stood there for a long while, my heart aching. I felt the tears build up and fall hotly from my cheeks._

* * *

_"What's the matter? You've been really quiet all day." Azryal brushed aside a strand of pink hair from my eyes as I stared up at him. He looked down at me with those molten eyes alight with lust from our previous love making. _

_My hair was splayed out around me on the numerous silken pillows adorning the emperor's bed. After a moment of silence between us passed and Azryal stopped rubbing a strand of my hair between his forefinger and thumb, I sat up, pulling the silk sheets up to my chest to cover my nakedness. _

_A crease appeared between his elegant eyebrows as he straightened as well, not bothering to cover his nudity. He waited for me to say something which made me more nervous._

_I swallowed past my dry tongue before breaking the heavy silence, "I think Kyston is in love with me." I said as I wrapped my bare arms around my legs which I gathered to my chest. I rested my chin on my knees and after a moment I looked at his face without turning my head. _

_A pang of panic shot through me making me dizzy as I recognized the anger on Azryal's face and noticed his clenched fists. _

_"Did he touch you?" He ground out through clenched teeth._

_I sat up quickly, the sheet pooling around my waist as I shook my head furiously. "No! He would never do anything to betray you! I insisted that he tell me otherwise he probably never would have mentioned it! Please don't hurt him, Azryal! He's never done anything to suggest he had feelings for me!"_

_Azryal bent his head, before asking in a low, hesitant voice, "Do you love him?" _

_After a second I answered, "Yes," His head shot up and hurt rang through his eyes and my heart clenched at what I had implied, "but only as a best friend." I finished. I smiled softly at him before continuing, "The person I've ever felt true love for is you, Azryal." _

_His amber eyes softened as I moved closer to him to capture his lips in a tender kiss. The silken sheet lay forgotten behind me as I pressed my naked body against his. I deepened the kiss into a more passionate one and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him so close there wasn't a space of air between us. I felt his hard member prodding against my stomach and as I rubbed against it and heard Azryal's moan, all thoughts of Kyston fled my mind.  
_

* * *

_On my wedding day as I was taking my bath in the morning Kyston appeared. _

_He hadn't been around me much since my engagement to Azryal had become official and the date for the wedding set. He never spoke to me about that night in the palace gardens and I was too afraid to bring it up with him before it brought Azryal's rage down upon Kyston. We had somewhat returned to our normal relationship of teasing each other and joking around but there was always that sense of distance between us. And whenever Azryal was present Kyston never even looked at me; he was always on the other side of the room. Azryal seemed a bit more serious with him but he never did anything to hurt or confront Kyston._

_After a while I began to believe that Kyston had gotten over it._

_Until my wedding day._

_It is tradition in Saarik to leave the bride-to-be to take her bath by herself so she could have some time alone before she's engulfed in all the attention of being a bride. So as I was soaking in the scented water I was startled out of my daydreaming by the closing of a door. I looked up in full alert, my hand already trying to find a weapon in the basket of soap and other hygienic materials. But when I saw who it was my hand flew to my mouth as my heart skipped a beat._

_"Kyston...?" He was leaning against the door he had closed, his hands trapped behind him, between his body and the door. His blue head was bent to stare at the floor. At my voice he lifted his head to stare at me with his warm blue eyes. I noticed his eyes trail down to my chest before looking away and a blush heated my face as I covered my exposed breasts with my arms. I eyed the pile of towels on the opposite side of the bath glumly before returning my gaze to Kyston. "What are you doing here, Kyston? If Azryal finds out you're in here he'll seriously kill you."_

_Kyston's gaze returned to me with defiance burning in his eyes, "I'm not afraid of Azryal."_

_"You should be." I replied sternly._

_A slight smile flashed across his face before disappearing so quickly I thought I'd imagined it. He pushed off the door and moved closer. I sunk deeper into the water until it came up to my neck, my arms still around my chest. _

_He stopped when he saw me retreating into myself and sadness lined his face, "I'm not going to hurt you, Sakura. You can trust me." _

_"Can I?" Came my quick reply._

_"What kind of dumb question is that? Of course you can. I would never betray you or Azryal like that." He scoffed, a sliver of anger lacing his tone._

_"Then what the hell are you doing in here?" I asked, anger blazing in my eyes in response to his aggravation._

_He seemed to deflate at my question, "I wanted to tell you that even though I'm in love with you and it feels like my heart's being ripped out every time I see you with my best friend, that I'm happy for you and Azryal. He's a great guy and he'll make you a lot happier than I'll ever be able to. And I just wanted you to know that even though I've made you uncomfortable these past few months that I'll always be your friend even if you don't want to be mine." He was staring down at his feet as he spoke and the words seemed to drag out of his mouth as if by force but as he said his last sentence his eyes met mine hopefully._

_"You're _happy_? How do you expect me to believe you're happy about your best friend marrying the woman you love?" I asked skeptically._

_He took a deep breath before squatting at the edge of the bath, "Okay, I'm not exactly _happy_ about it but I can accept it and step aside because I know Azryal will make you unbearably happy. And that makes it easier for me to see you with him." _

_"Okay, I can buy _that_." I said after a couple of long seconds. A smile graced my features before I continued, "But couldn't you have waited until the wedding to tell me this? Did you have to wait until I was naked and vulnerable to tell me you wanted to be my friend and that you were happy for me?" _

_A blush colored his cheeks and he started to mumble an apology before an abrupt laugh erupted from my throat. He looked up and grinned at me before heading for the door. "Well, I better get out of here before I'm caught and Azryal really does kill me."_

_"I thought he didn't scare you?" I teased as he reached for the handle on the door._

_"Yeah, well that's not gonna matter when he shoves his sword through my chest after castrating me."_

_I was still laughing after he had closed the door behind him and a smile remained on my face when Trina came to check on me a couple of minutes later._

* * *

My eyes wandered over to where Kyston was standing at the bottom of the few marble steps that led up the throne. He was leaning against a marble column and he had a watchful eye on the line of commoners in the throne room. His eyes would glance back towards the people closest to the emperor before returning to scanning the room. I was immensely grateful that my friendship with Kyston hadn't been ruptured by his love for me; in fact, it had strengthened.

* * *

Two years later...

Sakura had fallen into her role as the empress of Saarik well. She handled the household like she was supposed to and she made sure to not interrupt important meetings Azryal attended with his advisers. She was respectful and elegant, calm and collected like a good wife. She gave Azryal's advisers no reason not to like her just so Azryal wouldn't have to suffer their complaints whenever they met with each other. They couldn't tolerate an outspoken woman, no matter that she was their empress. Yet they had no idea that countless ideas that Azryal suggested had come from her. She found a smug pleasure in that bit of knowledge.

She found it was a lot easier to impress Azryal's subjects. The city-folk knew she was humble enough to mingle in the market and play with the children of merchants and farmers. She spent countless hours just strolling through the cobbled maze that was Saarik. She now knew the kingdom by heart and didn't get lost any more. She had made friends with a lot of the locals and she found she enjoyed being greeted by them when she was in the city.

Even though this was her life, a life that was a lot more calm and predictable than any life she could have led in Konoha, she loved it. She was happy and enjoyed every day she spent here.

And when her first child was born she loved it even more.

She looked down at the little boy sleeping on her lap while she lazily swung on a white swing in the palace gardens.

She had named her son Xanthus. She had found the name in an old story book in the expansive and very ancient library situated in the palace.

Xanthus was a river god who fell in love with a human princess. She used to visit the river whenever she had the chance to escape palace life. She would swim in his river for hours, only leaving when night fell. Xanthus believed she was the most beautiful creature and her purity was like his untouched river. One night the beautiful princess ran to his river with tears streaming down her face. Xanthus couldn't bear to watch her wallow in such sadness so he appeared before her in a human form with flowing blond hair. She started at the sight of him but he calmed her with a sincere smile on his beautiful face. She told him she was being forced into an unwanted marriage for the sake of peace between her father's kingdom and her soon-to-be husband's kingdom. Xanthus refused for her purity to be sullied by the power of men and told her to come to him before her wedding night; he would make her a goddess so she wouldn't ever have to bend to the will of men again. She agreed and a year passed and then another. Then one day she appeared before his river again, tears streaming down her beautiful face. Xanthus thrust his annoyance at her absence away and appeared before her once more. She looked up in surprise but at his beautiful, calming smile, she began to tell him of her woes. She decided to marry the prince, claiming that she came to love him and that he loved her as well. But after the birth of their first son and heir the prince revealed he was really in love with his mistress. Xanthus frowned at her story and the fact that her purity had been corrupted. But he still put a hand on her shoulder and with a comforting smile, gave her the same offer as two years ago; he would make her a goddess. She thanked him and promised she would return. Weeks turned into a month before the princess came tumbling out of the forest that surrounded his river. Her eyes were panic-stricken and crazed and she was breathing hard as if she had been running. Xanthus didn't hesitate before appearing in front of her again. She immediately clung onto the front of his billowing robes, tears streaming from her eyes. She told him to make her into a goddess if it would turn her immortal for she had killed her husband and his mistress in their bed and now she was being chased by those who wanted retribution for their murdered prince. Xanthus shook his head sadly before telling her only those who were pure and innocent could be made into something as flawless as a goddess. He turned his back on her desperate pleas and returned to the river without a backward glance. Men with flaming torches could be seen through the branches of the trees and the princess flung herself into the river in her desperation. She expected Xanthus to appear again but he was no where to be seen as she flailed her arms in an attempt to swim but instead she sunk and as she opened her mouth to scream for help her lungs filled with water and she drowned. The people who wanted revenge found their princess's dead body floating in the silent River of Xanthus.

For some strange reason that depressing story was her favorite so she named her son after the River God. Azryal had given her a strange look but he didn't contradict her in naming their son after a gloomy god who wanted a virgin goddess to rule his river with him. 'He's a wonderful husband,' she mused with a smirk.

Sakura looked down at her sleeping son and ran her long fingers through his platinum blond hair. When Xanthus's hair started to grow she had wondered where the blond had come from. There were no blonds in her family and as far as she knew (or as much as Azryal told her) there weren't any blonds on his side either; all the men had inherited silver hair while most of the women had black hair with the few who had brown. It was a strict tradition, another reason why Azryal's advisers had protested so much against Sakura and her bright cherry blossom hair. She had thought that Xanthus might get silver hair as he grew older but Azryal stated that he always had silver hair since he was young so it was highly unlikely.

Sakura shrugged thinking that her son was just special.

Apart from their hair, Xanthus was the spitting image of his father. His eyes were a glowing amber and his nose and lips were just like Azryal's.

Sakura was only slightly disappointed that he hadn't inherited any of her recognizable traits. _It would have been perfect if he had gotten pink hair. I wonder if Azryal's advisers would have tried to force him to disinherit his pink-haired son._ Sakura thought with a soft chuckle. Her disappointment had disappeared when he started to show a keen intellect that was characteristic to only her, especially for a two-year old.

As she was mulling over her thoughts Xanthus started to stir from his nap. Sakura stopped the swing from moving as he sat up and opened his stunning amber eyes to look up at her. She smiled warmly at him before smoothing his hair away from his cherub face.

"Have a nice nap?" she asked as he yawned hugely.

He nodded before looking around at his surroundings. "I thawt I was in my woom?" Xanthus mumbled cutely while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Sakura shook her head, "Nope, you fell asleep after we had our picnic. Riina was upset she couldn't play with you."

"Oh." he answered simply before scrambling off the side of the swing and falling to the ground on his behind with a solid 'thump'. Sakura gasped and bent to see if he was alright but he was already scuttling off towards the palace in hopes, Sakura thought, of finding Riina. She shook her head as his tiny form disappeared through the entrance to the palace, his two weathered nursemaids, who had been waiting silently and patiently by the entrance during his nap, rushing after him.

She slumped back in the swing before something white caught her eye in the balcony that looked over the gardens above the entrance Xanthus had went through. It was Azryal leaning against the balcony railing, his white robes billowing open at the chest. His silver hair was swept over one shoulder shimmering in the sunlight. He gave her a small wave when he noticed her looking at him. When she waved back he smiled and disappeared for a moment before reappearing at the entrance to the garden, strolling towards her swing.

When he was in front of her he gave her a smoldering kiss that left her breathless before slumping next to her on the quaint white swing. She didn't say anything as she leaned into the curve of his arm, her head leaning against his shoulder as he gathered her to him. She raised her head for another kiss that ended up being more passionate than the first one. She smiled against his lips, relishing in the fact that they knew each other well enough that they didn't need to fill the silence with talking.

As she felt her eyes begin to droop in the safety of Azryal's arms they were interrupted by one of his guards.

"Your Highness, I apologize for disturbing you and her Highness but the Court has assembled in the wake of a major issue that has just come to attention. They require your presence, Your Highness." the young guard was kneeling on one of his knees with his head bent in the customary posture of the Royal Guard while facing royalty.

"Tell them I'll be there shortly. You're dismissed." Azryal replied curtly, annoyed that he was being interrupted.

The guard bowed one more time when he stood and then turned abruptly before disappearing the way he came from.

When he was gone Azryal let his annoyance show, "Why is there always some calamity that begs for attention whenever I feel like relaxing?"

Sakura laughed softly before sitting up and pressing her hand to his cheek to get him to look at her. She bit back another smile at his pouting lip and childish expression. "You're the Emperor, you're not allowed to have a peaceful life. Didn't you read the job description before applying?" she teased.

"Regretfully, no. I didn't actually have a choice in _my_ future." Azryal replied with a roll of his eyes.

Sakura gave him a sad smile before pulling him into a gentle kiss. "Well, don't give up no matter what. And if you ever do, I'll be there to kick you back into line." she whispered against his lips, pulling his lower lip in between her teeth at the last part.

Azryal pulled her onto his lap where he proceeded to ravage her from the neck up. Sakura pulled away with a breathless laugh after a few minutes went by.

"You're going to be late! Don't give those old warts another reason to hate me." she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"How am I supposed to go any where with you grinding yourself on me like that?" he ground out before trying to pull her into another kiss where she knew she wouldn't be able to pull away from.

She pushed off of him quickly before she lost her control. "Azryal! I'm serious! Stop whining and get your butt to the Court!" Sakura turned away from him so he wouldn't see her smiling. She bit her lip to stop from laughing when she heard him groaning as he stood up.

"Good thing these robes are loose. Wouldn't want those old warts to keel over and die when they figure out what we were up to." She heard him say before she felt his arm wrap around her waist to pull her flush against him. He pressed the bulge in the front of his robes against her while he kissed her neck. "I'll see you tonight, empress." he whispered against her skin causing goose flesh to form at his hot breath.

She shivered when he let her go, and with a flourish of his white robes, he strolled down the path to the entrance of the palace without a backward glance.

Sakura crossed her arms loosely as she watched him leave. After a few seconds passed, she followed his path with a shake of her head. It was time she checked up on Xanthus and see if he had managed to find Riina.

* * *

**Sorry it was so short. I was planning on writing more but I'm sleepy now and I just wanted to get this out to you guys before another month passed me by. **

**I hope things weren't too pointless in this chapter like that silly story I made up on the spot about the River God Xanthus. I just felt like making up a story behind his name cuz I wanted Sakura to name him, not Azryal, just to show her dominance, lol! And she couldn't just come up with "Xanthus" on her own and it's definitely not a name you would find in the Ninja world. lol! But apart from that things should begin to heat up again in the next chapter but don't hold me to it. Sure I've got the main skeleton of the story planned out but I'm making up the details as I go along, like that River God story and the failed romance between Kyston and Sakura, lol! I'm still not a 100% sure about the significance of that ordeal, lol!**

**Pronunciations:**

**Xanthus- zan-thus**

**I want to form Xanthus's character better in the next chapter and I hope to have Riina and the Royal Guard make an appearance as well. Hopefully that's the last bit of writer's block I'll have for this story! Keep your fingers crossed! **

**Remember to review! Nothing's more better a motivator than hearing from your readers!  
**

**yuru**


	8. Count Your Last Blessings

**Wow, I can't believe I finished this so fast! Hellz yeah, no more writer's block for me! The main plot has begun to unfold! Hope you enjoy it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto but everything related to Saarik is MINE!

* * *

**

**Chapter Eight**

_Count Your Last Blessings_

**_._**

**_._**

**_._**

"Saalihl was attacked last night, your Highness."

Azryal faced the young Gatekeeper standing in the middle of the Court surrounded by the Emperor's advisers, kneeling before the Emperor himself. Shock at the Gatekeeper's words flashed across his face before he covered it with a stern visage.

"Stand up and explain yourself, boy." One of Azryal's oldest advisers barked out.

The young man quickly stood and raised his head but bent it quickly when he saw the Emperor's cold eyes staring down at him. "It started last night. We were on guard at the Gates of Saarik when we heard a ruckus loud enough to be heard so deep in the forest. We sent Ryle and Lukus to investigate. It was about two hours before Lukus came back with a broken arm and a nasty gash across his face. He said Ryle was killed and that Saalihl was attacked but the one who attacked left almost as suddenly as he had appeared." the keeper trailed off as he raised his head hesitantly at the silent room.

"'He'?" Azryal asked, "Do you know who it was that attacked?"

The Court seemed to hold its breath as they anticipated the boy's answer.

He nodded, a pained expression on his face, "Lukus said it was a man named Kinto, your Highness." He looked up at Azryal, the unsaid meaning behind that name heavy in the air.

Azryal didn't fight the shock on his face this time. Like a switch turned on the entire Court exploded in protest and speculation, all trying to talk over the other like school children.

Azryal closed his eyes for a moment before yelling for silence. The room quieted immediately and all eyes turned to their Emperor.

He took a deep breath before opening his fierce amber eyes, "We all know the significance of Kinto suddenly showing up and attacking Saalihl. He's always been a follower." There were numerous murmurs of agreement and nodding of heads.

"You're not suggesting that _He_ has returned, are you?" one of the newer advisers piped up in the corner. All eyes turned to him like he was incompetent and he shrank back shyly.

"I'm not 'suggesting' it, I'm saying it. Lord Radek has finally chosen to return and he's not expecting a happy 'Welcome Home'." Azryal said before a shudder went through the room at the thought of him.

* * *

"Xanthus! Riina don't let Xanthus get too close!" Sakura called as she hurried to catch up to her son and her closest female friend in Saarik despite their seven years age difference.

Riina had turned seventeen this year and she was the love of every young man that laid eyes on her. Just like her older brother, Rene, she was smooth-talking and flirty. Her blazing red hair had grown past her waist in thick waves like a flaming silken river. She had grown into a beautiful young woman with curves in all the right places and the face of a nymph.

At this moment Riina was trying to pull Xanthus away from a cornered cat who was hissing and trying to swipe at him when he got within range. Every time Riina got a hold on the two-year old he would slip from her grip easily and scuttle back to the cat, trying to pet it as it fluffed out threateningly.

"Just pick him up, Riina!" Sakura said in exasperation as the cat nearly took a swipe at his face before he was yanked back by Riina.

"No way! Look at him! He's covered in mud! I don't know why you let him play in that mucky puddle." Riina said haughtily as she dragged a protesting Xanthus towards his mother.

Sakura scooped her filthy son up into her arms, not caring that his muddy clothes were smearing her expensive dress, to keep him from running back to the now escaping cat. She gave Riina a droll stare, "I didn't _let_ him play in the puddle. I was expecting _you_ to look after him while I paid for the sweets but you were too busy flirting with the shopkeeper's son!"

Riina had the decency to look embarrassed as they made their way back into the main streets of Saarik. Xanthus struggled in his mother's grip for a few seconds before going limp. Sakura groaned at his weight as he hung from her arms.

"Xanthus! Behave yourself." she scolded. When she got no response she resorted to blackmailing him, "Behave or you won't get any of the sweets I bought."

She smirked when he immediately straightened with fear in his eyes.

"I'm thorry." he apologized with genuine sincerity but Sakura knew better.

"Uh-huh. You better be. Now if I put you down will you promise not to run off anywhere?" she asked sternly.

He nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Say it." she ordered.

"I prawmise."

Satisfied, Sakura gently set him down and when he didn't immediately shoot off in any direction she straightened. She looked down at her dress and resisted the urge to groan at the large brown smudge where Xanthus's stomach had rested against. She didn't understand how falling face first into a puddle of mud was fun. Maybe the idea of fun changed from when she was young, she mused.

"It looks like you smeared poop all over your dress." Riina commented dryly.

At the mention of 'poop' Xanthus burst into a fit of giggles.

Sakura glared at Riina before rolling her eyes, "Gee, thanks. Maybe it'll set off a trend."

Riina snorted in a very unladylike manner while Sakura watched glumly as Xanthus charged through a flock of exotic birds that were mulling about by the huge fountain in the center quarter of Saarik. The startled birds burst into flight in a flurry of colorful feathers as Xanthus clambered up the side of the fountain to dunk his hand into the water to try and catch a koi fish.

Riina let out an exasperated breath before rushing to yank him off the side of the fountain while scolding him. Sakura shook her head as she joined them, watching how Riina acted like a big sister to the budding prince.

"Sakura? What are you doing out here?"

Sakura looked up in surprise at Kyston's voice. Her face brightened at the sight of him but then fell when she noticed him dressed in the Saahdia's uniform that they wore when they left the city on official business. Behind him Rene swaggered over to his sister to ruffle her hair in that annoying, older brother way.

Riina let go of Xanthus and spun to face her brother in annoyance before punching his arm.

"Ow!" Rene yelped as he rubbed the spot where she punched him, "Is that any way to treat your brother who's going out into the big bad world? If I die then you'll be sorry!" He pouted sullenly.

"Yeah right! I'll rejoice at your funeral." Riina haughtily replied.

Rene looked on the verge of tears when Galen sidled up next to him and bonked him on the head.

"What the _hell_!" Rene yelled as he spun to face a smirking Galen, Riina giggling behind him.

"Hey, behave you guys." Kyston snapped as he turned back to Sakura. He clenched his jaw at the sarcastic snorts he heard behind him.

Sakura was smiling at him and his annoyance dissipated as he grinned at her.

"What's with the dress? Did someone throw shit at you?" he asked in mock-concern, the siblings breaking out into a fit of laughter behind him, Galen's chuckles barely audible.

Sakura's eyes blazed with anger as she raised her fist to punch him but then her screech of "_Xanthus_!" sobered everyone as Xanthus overbalanced trying to reach too far for a koi fish. He plunked into the fountain in a loud splash that left Riina and Rene soaked, but Galen was quick enough to get out of range.

Sakura froze when he fell but then felt her anger rekindle when he sat in the shallow water and started giggling at the struggling fish in his slippery grip.

"Xanthus! Dammit, why can't you behave for just _two minutes_?" Sakura bit out, trying to keep her anger at bay. She yanked Xanthus closer to the edge of the fountain so she could pull him out of the chilly water causing him to lose his grip on the fish. He watched it plop back into the water with a soft splash and slither away, its golden scales glittering in the sunlight. When it disappeared the prince broke into tears, bawling as his mother pulled him out from the fountain.

Sakura's anger was replaced with motherly affection as she gathered her soaked son to her chest, his sobbing muffled by the front of her dress. His tiny fists were clenched around a handful of her dress and his short legs were wrapped around her as she rubbed his back. She sat down at the edge of the fountain to comfort him, not minding the cold water soaking through her clothes.

Riina and the three Royal Guards stood around her with amused expressions, but didn't say a word. Rene was grinning like he thought it was funny so Riina shoved her elbow into his gut to warn him not to laugh.

When Xanthus's crying had stopped and his breathing had deepened indicating he was asleep, Sakura looked up with a smile.

"That was interesting." Rene said with a grin.

"Yeah, well this is what mothers have to go through every day. You of all people wouldn't understand." Sakura said with a bit of Riina's haughtiness. She grinned to soften her hard words.

"Well as much as we'd like to hang around and watch you and your son get even more filthy, we have business to attend to." Kyston stated, glancing at the sun, maybe to check how much time had passed.

"Where are you guys going?" Riina asked as she sat next to Sakura.

"Just to Saalihl." Kyston hesitated before continuing in a whisper after glancing around him in a conspiratorial way, "The village was attacked last night."

Riina gasped and Sakura looked up sharply, her eyes wide.

"What? How? By who?" Sakura asked, her heart pounding. Saalihl was Saarik's first line of defense. If it was breached and whoever it was that attacked Saalihl found the Gates of Saarik, they were in serious trouble.

"I can't say right now, especially out here. Azryal doesn't want the city to know until he knows exactly what the hell is going on. So you two better get your butts back to the palace, but don't expect to see Azryal any time soon; he's got a ton of shit to discuss and plan with the Court members."

Sakura nodded her head. "Be careful you guys." she said softly, her heart constricting at the fact that Saarik might go to war. Kyston smiled before turning his back and walking up the steps that led away from the fountain. Rene grinned and said "Careful is my middle name." which earned a sardonic snort from Riina. Galen bowed respectfully before following the other two.

The two of them sat there until the three men disappeared completely before Riina suggested they start to head back to the palace like Kyston told them to. Sakura nodded before standing with Xanthus still fast asleep in her arms. The walk back was shorter than normal, probably because of how fast her mind was racing with probabilities and questions, she didn't notice time flying by. Riina seemed carefree as she swung the bag of sweets widely as she walked beside Sakura. Maybe it was her way of keeping herself calm.

When they finally arrived back at the palace the sun was a few hours away from setting. Soon the sky would be painted with the colors of a setting sun, Sakura's favorite time of day.

Riina skipped off to her chambers while the Empress took Xanthus straight to his nursery where his two nursemaids, Rola and Niana, were bustling about. Rola was a strict woman in her mid-forties, pleasantly plump with graying hair. Niana was younger in her early thirties, she had faded blond hair and warm chocolate-colored eyes. She was more gentle and patient when it came to Xanthus and his misadventures than Rola who was quick to reprimand and discipline.

Rola gave Sakura one look before taking Xanthus from her. "Ah, your Highness, looks like the little prince had his fair share of mischief, eh?" she smiled at the Empress before heading off to the washroom to clean Xanthus.

Niana gave Sakura a sympathetic look when she saw her sodden dress was wrinkled and sticking to her skin, the mud stain settled into the material.

"He really knows how to get himself into trouble, that boy." Niana shook her head and Sakura just smiled.

"If he wakes up just tell him I've gone to bed unless he wants to come and see me. I need to get out of this dress. Hopefully it can be saved." Sakura joked as she headed for the door. Niana bowed as she left.

When she finally arrived at the chambers she shared with Azryal she was already deep in thought again on what Kyston said. She wondered when Azryal would get back from his meeting.

"Oh, Sakura you're back!" Trina's voice interrupted her from her thoughts as she came from the adjoining washroom. "Oh my goodness! What happened to your dress? Didn't you just get it yesterday?" Trina clucked her tongue as she came closer to inspect the damage, "Hmm, maybe it's not ruined."

Sakura shrugged, "Maybe. What were you doing in here?"

"I thought you might be back soon so I went ahead and filled the bath for you. It's nice and warm so hurry before it cools." Trina said, nudging Sakura towards the washroom.

It took Sakura about two months to finally get Trina to treat her with something resembling normalcy when she first arrived here. Only when they were in public together did she address Sakura formally but other than that she was like another good friend...who served her every whim, but a friend nonetheless.

Sakura shed her sodden outfit, shivering when the air touched her damp skin. She quickly dunked herself into the warm bath and sighed as it took all the tension from her. After she soaked in the bath until her fingers were wrinkly and the water had turned cold she got out and quickly dried her skin. She pulled on the simple pale yellow dress Trina had left for her. It had little sleeves and a band of white lace encircling her waist to tie into a cute bow in the back. The dress fell to just below her ankles to show off a pair of white sandals.

She left the washroom to find an elaborate dinner laid out for her on the intricate table near the balcony doors. No formal dinner tonight, Sakura guessed. Trina wasn't in the room so Sakura headed straight to the table. Her stomach started growling when she reached close enough to inhale the delicious smells. By the time she finished the sky was already starting to tint pink.

After waiting for five minutes that seemed like thirty and no one came into the room, Sakura got up and left in search of someone who could tell her what was going on. She walked for an hour only coming across servants and guards who weren't important enough to know what was happening beyond the Gates of Saarik.

Mindlessly she stopped in front of the doors that led into the Court. The guards by the door gave her skeptical glances but didn't say anything. Her heart was beating hard as she pressed her ear to the door in hopes of hearing something. She only heard muffled voices and incomprehensible words. She wanted to burst into the room and demand what was going on but that wouldn't get her anywhere. The old bastards would stop discussing with each other and wait till she left and it would only make Azryal mad; she knew because she had already done it before, more than once.

She stood back and glared up at the heavy doors before spinning on her heel with a huff and strutting down the hall with her nose stuck in the air. The guards watched her leave with amused glances before she disappeared around the corner. She ended up back in her chambers where she fell asleep on a chaise waiting for Azryal's return.

The closing of a door woke her up around dawn and she was startled to see Azryal now entering the room, his hair hanging limply from his bent head, tired circles under his eyes. The room was unlit, the only light coming from the soon-to-be rising sun.

Azryal looked up when Sakura slid off the chaise, her neck and shoulders obviously stiff from the uncomfortable position they were in the entire night. He gave her a tired smile when she put a comforting hand against his cheek.

"Hey." he greeted. He pressed his forehead against hers before kissing her nose.

She smiled before returning the greeting, "You look terrible."

"Thanks." he grumbled before pulling away from her. He headed straight for the huge bed and plopped down onto the plush pillows face down, not even bothering to take off his sandals or outer robe.

Sakura looked at him worriedly before following his steps and bending to pull off his sandals. He turned at her contact, tenderness warming his amber eyes.

"You don't have to do that." he reached for her but she yanked off his last sandal before he could stop her. Then she crawled up next to him after kicking off her own sandals.

He watched her with mild amusement as she plumped the pillows and settled into them. Then she pulled Azryal up next to her but she didn't have to force him. He laid his head heavily next to hers on the same pillow, his eyes immediately shutting. His arm wrapped around her waist where he pulled her in close to him, his nose burrowing into her loose hair. He inhaled her scent deeply and not long after fell into an easy sleep.

Sakura laid in his loose embrace, watching the ceiling lighten with the brightening of the rising sun. His breath tickled her neck but she didn't mind. She finally felt her eyes start to droop and before she knew it she was fast asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke up a couple of hours later to an empty bed. She sat up glumly as she looked around the room, noticing the position of the sun outside her open balcony doors. It was already past noon. She huffed at Azryal's easy escape as she rolled off the bed and went to the washroom to do her business and wash her mouth out. Her dress was wrinkled from sleep but she didn't care at the moment; she didn't feel like changing. She smoothed it out the best she could and ran a brush through her long hair before pulling it into a low braided bun.

She left the chambers on a mission to find out what was going on. But first she wanted to check on Xanthus, hopefully he didn't catch a cold. She passed the gardens where she spotted Xanthus and Riina playing hide and seek. She caught Xanthus run squealing from Riina when she found him hiding behind a huge willow tree. The innocent scene brought a tender smile to her face. She walked out into the sunlight where Xanthus spotted her immediately and changed his direction so he could come pelting into her. He wrapped his tiny arms around her calves and peeked behind her to see Riina stop in front of them, breathless and wheezing.

"Thank..god you're...here." she got out between deep breaths. "I can't...take any more. He's all yours." Riina patted Sakura on the shoulder before limping into the palace without a backward glance.

"Where's Riina going, Mama?" Xanthus asked innocently as he watched his only playmate disappear into the palace.

"She's going to rest, honey. Are you tired?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No." he looked up at her with his huge amber eyes and she couldn't stop the affectionate smile that crossed her face. She scooped him up for a quick hug and a wet kiss which he blanched at. She laughed as she put him down, watching as he dramatically wiped off his cheek. "Mama! You can't kiss me! I'm not ah baby!"

"Oh, right sorry." She forced down another laugh before holding out her hand, "Want to walk with Mama?"

"Okay." He held onto her hand as they walked back into the palace.

"Where's Rola and Niana?" She asked him when she noticed the two ever-present nursemaids were no where to be found.

"Riina told them to bring food. But I'm not hungwy so I don't want none!" he stated matter-of-factly.

"Right. Don't eat when you're not hungry." she nodded at him like he did something good which caused him to nod too.

After about fifteen minutes of walking and Xanthus's non-stop talking they finally found a guard who actually knew something. He said Azryal was in the throne room and that the Saahdia had returned about two hours ago.

Sakura thanked him quickly and hurried off to the throne room, reluctant to take Xanthus with her but having no other choice besides having to find his nursemaids herself which would take up too much time. And she couldn't trust just _anyone_ with her son; he was the _heir_ to Saarik after all. So she walked as quickly as Xanthus could and after about twenty minutes she arrived in the arch of the secret door behind the throne in the throne room. She had told Xanthus to not say a word before she opened the door. She had him by the hand in a death grip while she craned to listen to what was being said.

One of Azryal's older advisers was talking. He sounded like the Emperor's right hand adviser, Bryn. He was about twenty years older than Azryal which made him forty-eight. He was also one of the strictest ones, more so than the older advisers who were in their fifties and sixties. He was also the one who had protested the loudest when Azryal announced he was going to marry a common-blood outsider and a _ninja_ no less. But he hadn't said anything when Sakura had produced a first-born son who was no doubt Azryal's offspring.

"So you're telling me that bloody fool Kinto attacked Saalihl and killed nearly _half_ of the population?" Bryn sounded shocked.

"Right. The Gatekeeper who survived, what was his name? Lukus? He said that Kinto just kept popping out of thin air and killed anyone who stood in his way. There are about three people injured, the rest are dead. Who ever survived, mostly women and children, managed to because they were hiding. He was there for exactly four hours before he just disappeared." Kyston's voice trailed off before an adviser who wasn't Bryn started.

"What was the point of that? Killing every person he saw and then just disappearing without any reason for what he did? Are you sure that Lukus fellow didn't keep anything from you?"

"What reason would he have for that? The guy was scared half to death. He said Kinto was standing over him, ready to kill him before he disappeared. He said Kinto stopped, looked at the position of the sun and then poofed out of existence." Kyston's voice again, it had a tinge of annoyance to it.

"Well it's obvious that he had a set time to cause as much havoc as possible within those four hours." Bryn again.

"And there's another thing," Kyston said, he sounded hesitant, "the three wounded, which didn't include Lukus, each said that Kinto appeared to be in more places than one at the same time."

"That's preposterous!" one of the other advisers shouted.

"Impossible!" another adviser.

Sakura managed to blank out the chaos that ensued in response to what Kyston said. Her eyes were wide at the implication. _Was it possible? This _'Kinto'_ can appear in more places than one...could it mean that he was a ninja? Could it be a form of the_ Kage Bunshin No Jutsu_? But how could he possibly know where Saalihl was? And why would he attack it?_

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Azryal yell for silence. When he started talking about what Kyston could mean Xanthus perked up at his father's voice.

"Daddy?"

Before Sakura could get a firm grip on him, Xanthus was already pelting through the walls of sheer curtains, his sandals smacking loudly against the marble floor. She heard him squeal another "Daddy!" before she heard Azryal 'grunt' indicating that Xanthus had thrown himself onto his father.

Sakura smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead and bit back a groan. Her heart stopped when she heard footsteps and a dark form pushing through the sheer curtains towards her. She backed out of the arch of the doorway quickly but before she could make her getaway her wrist was snatched out of the air and she was pulled back into the door.

"Your _Highness?_" Bryn's shocked tone stilled her and she fought down the urge to look sheepish as she straightened to face him.

"Bryn." she acknowledged.

His face hardened at her cold greeting and he motioned for her to step through the curtains. She stuck her nose in the air but her heart lodged in her throat when she finally emerged from behind the throne to face the two dozen men assembled in the throne room.

She noticed Xanthus cuddled on Azryal's lap, his mouth running a mile a minute as he talked about how he was hiding with "Mama" in the back to surprise daddy but he forgot when he heard daddy because he wanted to see him.

Sakura let out an annoyed breath when she took in how every male in the room, except for Azryal, was staring at her either in shock or disapproval, or in the Saahdia's case, sheer amusement. Azryal didn't look up as he gave all his attention into every word that his son blurted out with a nod here and there which encouraged him to keep on talking.

"Your Highness, would you care to explain why you were snooping behind the throne?" Bryn took the initiative when Azryal gave no indication that he had noticed his wife.

"_Snooping?_" Sakura asked in astonishment. She crossed her arms over her chest, her anger starting to bubble, "I _do not_ snoop, Bryn! I was merely taking a stroll with my son when I opened the door to the throne room to see if Azryal was here, which he was, so Xanthus got excited and here we are." She tilted her chin a bit higher to annoy Bryn some more.

She felt a little unsettled by his sly smirk, "Children do not lie, Milady. The boy let it out that you were "hiding" back there. Why?" His dark brown eyes were sharp, daring her to lie.

Sakura glared daggers at him, "If you already knew then why _ask_, "Milord"?" She taunted which caused Bryn to bristle as his anger brimmed the edge of his tolerance.

"That's enough, Bryn." Azryal's calm voice split the tension as every eye reverted to their Emperor.

Bryn's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water at Azryal's obvious support for his wife. Sakura was tempted to stick her tongue out at him but then thought better of it; it would prove how immature she really was, she mildly thought.

Azryal glared sternly at Bryn who bent his head then turned his amber eyes to his wife, "Sakura, I'll see you later tonight. I have something to discuss with you." He pressed a gentle kiss to Xanthus's forehead causing his son to beam up at him as his father ruffled his blond hair.

Sakura pouted at Xanthus's glee when Azryal kissed him. _Why doesn't he balk when Azryal kisses him?_ she glumly thought as Azryal placed Xanthus on the ground so he could leave with his mother. Azryal gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before she looked away. She took Xanthus's outstretched hand and left the throne room whence she came without another word.

When they were out in the hall she looked down at Xanthus's happy face. She didn't understand why he was so well-behaved around his father but acted like a little imp around her. _Maybe it was a father-son thing._ she thought with a shrug. She forced her jealousy away before going over what had happened in the throne room.

Her curiosity piqued, wondering what Azryal wanted to discuss with her.

* * *

Later that night Sakura sat on the chaise in her bedchambers, squeaky clean and dying in anticipation of her coming discussion with Azryal. Her eyes were drooping after about an hour and half of no Azryal. Then time stopped when she heard a loud bang in the distance. All thoughts of sleep and Azryal fled her mind as she rushed out onto the balcony to see if she could see what had caused the loud bang. When she reached the railing she had to hold on to it to stop from falling when a rumble went through the palace, shaking the ground from under her.

Her heart was in her throat as she crawled back across the balcony towards the open doors. When the rumbling and shaking stopped she shot to her feet and flew back into the room just as the doors burst open.

Azryal stormed in with Trina close on his heels. He headed straight for Sakura just as another rumble went through the palace. Sakura fell against Azryal who caught her and steadied her.

"Sakura, listen to me. The Gates have been breached. The city's being evacuated. I'm sending you and Xanthus far away from here until things get under control." Azryal's words sent a jolt of panic through her.

"What about you? Azryal, what are you going to do? You're not coming with us?" Sakura's words came out in a rush as her panic took over, tears blurring her vision. Fear for his safety threatened to send her into a frenzy. She gripped the front of his robes in her desperation to keep him with her.

He brushed strands of her pink hair out of her face before stroking her cheeks to clear away her streaming tears. Then he kissed her, it wasn't passionate or tender; it was hungry and desperate and it left her breathless and so scared she wanted to scream. He kissed her like he was going to die.

"What's going on?" her lips trembling as she tried to form her words.

"Galen will explain everything. He's going with you while we take care of things here." He smiled down at her as he ran his thumb over her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. "Be strong," he whispered, "like the sixteen-year old girl who stole my heart all those years ago." He kissed her again, more tender this time, lingering before forcing himself to let her go. He left the room as swiftly as he'd come without looking back.

Sakura felt her control cracking and her legs threatened to give out but she forced herself to suck it up. Azryal was right; she needed to be strong. She had gotten soft over the years despite the occasional training she did with Kyston and Rene. She turned to Trina who had been flying around the room grabbing clothes and trinkets and stuffing them into a pair of traveling bags.

"Just packing what we can carry." she said to Sakura without even glancing up to know that the Empress was looking at her. After a few seconds she closed the bags and threw one over her shoulder. She went to pick up the other one but Sakura grabbed it before she could.

At Trina's shocked look, Sakura gave her a grim smile, "Now's not the time to worry about being an Empress or a servant. All we need to worry about is getting our butts out of here with all ten fingers attached."

Trina grinned before leading the way out of the room and down the hall.

"Wait! I have to get Xanthus!" Sakura called to Trina's back, her panic threatening to rise again in her confusion.

Trina turned impatiently, "Rola and Niana are bringing him down. Don't worry! All you have to do is get down there yourself!"

Sakura nodded reluctantly before continuing on their way.

They pelted down what seemed like a hundred staircases before they came to a dim room with no windows. Two torches were lit to give light. They were positioned on either side of an ancient, dusty fireplace that took up the entire middle of the wall. It didn't look like it had been used for warmth in years. The room had only a pantry and a clumsy wooden table with two matching stools. Other than that it was bare.

Sakura was panting slightly by the time they entered the room. As soon as she walked through the door something small and solid rammed into her calves with a shrill cry of, "Mama!". She threw her bag off her shoulder and scooped her son into her arms in a tight hug before facing the rest of the room. Galen was silent in a corner by the fireplace and Xanthus's nursemaids were there as well; Rola was sitting on a stool while Niana was standing where Xanthus had pelted from. Riina was sitting on the other stool, her face a mask of worry for her brother. Her features seemed to brighten at the sight of her but only a little. A young man was also there, a young guard, leaning against the other side of the fireplace from Galen. He bowed when she entered but didn't say a word.

"Galen, what's going on?" Sakura asked, trying to loosen Xanthus's arms which were wrapped tightly around her neck.

"We don't have time to sit here and talk. Once we are a safe distance away I'll tell you everything I know, Your Highness, but right now my main priority is getting all of you safely away from Saarik." Before Sakura could respond, Galen gave a single nod to the young guard who immediately turned and pressed three stones in the side of the fireplace. The stones shook when pressed and soon the entire fireplace began shaking, dust falling from its crevices as it slowly receded backwards, giving way to a dark tunnel.

The young guard took the torch from the wall and with another nod from Galen crept into the tunnel, the light from the torch revealing how spacious and damp it was. Galen took the other torch down and with a patient voice told everyone to hurry and follow the guard.

Sakura put Xanthus on the floor, his eyes wide in amazement at the secret tunnel. She slung the bag over her shoulder and gripped his hand before following Trina into the tunnel, Galen taking up the rear, right behind her.

Her heart pounded loudly in her head. What could be going on that was so bad that Azryal had to have his family use the underground tunnel that led halfway across the country to a forgotten mountain village called Adalrich?

Sakura couldn't fight the sickening feeling that this was the beginning of the end of a peaceful Saarik.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Sorry if Sakura didn't seem as strong as she was in the beginning chapters but you have to understand her confusion and fear. She's being separated from the man she loves and she now has a young son to worry about as well. Plus she still doesn't know what the hell is going on. So bear with her, she'll regain her strength later on.**

**Oh and I hope I didn't make it sound like "Lord Radek" was a play off of Voldemort cuz of the reaction of the advisers and him returning and everything, lmao! For one thing, he's a lot hotter than Voldemort so no worries!! Just that whenever I read over that part I just think of Voldie for some reason...lol.  
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**Pronunciations:**

**Kinto- kin-toe**

**Radek- rah-dick**

**Ryle- rile (rhymes with Kyle but who cares? He's dead, lol!)  
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**Lukus- loo-cuss**

**Rola- roll-lah**

**Niana- knee-anna**

**Bryn- brin**

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**Remember to review! Glad everyone's lovin' it so far!  
yuru  
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	9. Be Quick or Be Dead

**So this took longer than I thought it would take. I just got sudden inspiration from this new book I'm reading, _Kushiel's Dart_, so I decided to write again after a long absence due to all those awesome NaruSakuSasu fanfics out there distracting me! lmao! **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto but I DO OWN everything related to Saarik. **

**WARNING: Gore, violence, necrophilia, and vulgar language. This fic just took a pretty dark turn that I seriously wasn't planning on and was probably influenced by the previously mentioned new book I've been reading.

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**Chapter Nine**

_Be Quick Or Be Dead_

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The resounding thud of the closing wall behind the small group of escapees signaled the darkness to fall around them. The dim light of the two torches created a small circle around the group as they stood in the dank tunnel awaiting instructions. Galen moved silently to the front of the group and without a word the soldier moved to the rear. Then they began their long trek through the dark foreboding tunnel.

Sakura, with a tight grip on Xanthus's sweaty hand, moved near Galen in the front. "Tell me what's going on, Galen." Her voice was firm, hiding the sickening fear broiling in her belly.

After a long silence Sakura began to think he was going to ignore her. She was about to open her mouth to demand he tell her what was happening or else she was not going to move another step when he finally answered her.

"Do you know anything of Lord Radek?" Galen's voice was neutral and casual like it always was.

Sakura flicked her eyes to Rola when she heard the old nursemaid gasp softly before returning her attention to the back of Galen's head, "No. Who is he?"

"A powerful mage. He used to be a royal mage, sort of like what Azryal's Saadhia is only he was the only one. He served Azryal's great Grandfather until the emperor's death. He began to serve Azryal's father before he started to act differently. When Azryal was born he tried to kill the emperor. He had become incredibly powerful and saw the merciful emperor as a weakness to Saarik so he tried to rid the country of him. But the emperor was not weak and he suppressed Radek's magick and being the merciful ruler he was, exiled him and his followers instead of executing them. They were exiled to the Isle of Scarle which is heavily guarded and almost impossible to escape from because the rocks slowly sucks all the magick from your body which you need in order to get off the island. Azryal's father didn't live long after; the people of Saarik rebelled when he only exiled Radek. They wanted blood for all the innocent people he murdered. The emperor couldn't handle the stress of his bitter people and when Azryal was six, the emperor died in his sleep from the growing stress. Azryal's mother acted as regent until she died and he became emperor. He's the one who created the Saadhia to have a sort of checks and balance system to prevent another ordeal like Radek." Galen finished and a long pause ensued as everyone mulled over what he had said.

"So, if Radek was exiled to the Isle of Scarle how did he escape?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence of the tunnel.

"It's not Lord Radek who has been attacking the city. It's his most loyal follower, Kinto."

"Then why tell us who Radek is?" Sakura asked, her tone skeptical.

"Because Kinto was nothing but a follower. He doesn't have the gall to be a leader. We believe he's still following orders and there's a high probability that it's Radek but there hasn't been any news of anyone escaping from the Isle of Scarle." Galen calmly explained.

"But wasn't Kinto exiled there as well?"

"Yes, but he never had any magick so he wasn't weakened by the rocks."

"But you said you need magick to get off the island." Sakura pointed out.

"That's why there's been some contemplation on whether there's a traitor amongst the guards on the island."

"If Kinto didn't have any magick, then why did Radek need him?" Sakura wondered out loud.

"He never used to have any magick but Radek used him for his mind and his cunning schemes. But now it seems like he has some sort of magick and he's the culprit behind the massacre that occurred in Saalihl. None of our soldiers know how to protect themselves against this strange power."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, a dreadful feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

Galen stopped walking and turned to face her with a contemplative expression, "Well, the power he's using feels like when you use your chakra, Sakura. This has never happened before in Saarik."

Sakura's eyes widened before confusion clouded her shock, _I knew something was fishy when Kyston said this Kinto kept popping out of thin air in more places than one at the same time._ "If he's using chakra, then why didn't Azryal let me try to stop him?" Sakura prodded, annoyance beginning to bubble within.

"Because he's mixing these ninja powers with magick. It's turned out to be a very dangerous combination." Galen's tone finally turned grim.

"So what's happening now?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

Galen took a deep breath before letting it out, finally revealing how stressed out he was with this whole ordeal. "All I know is that the city is being evacuated and Kinto, along with at least a hundred well-trained mages managed to blow a hole through the Wall of Saarik and are now plundering the city. The people are escaping through the secret passes throughout the city and scattering across the country as we speak. Azryal, Kyston, Rene and Saarik's best mages are holding up the palace until further notice. We are supposed to head to Adalrich to stock up and await further instructions."

Sakura stopped nodding her head like a silly school-girl and felt cold fear grip her, "What the hell does Azryal expect to accomplish by 'holding up the palace' with a handful of mages?" She felt hot tears well up in her eyes but refused to look away from Galen's calm stare.

"It's not a 'handful of mages' and he hopes to protect his city like what an emperor is supposed to do. You, as his wife and empress, should understand this the most. He can't just run away."

Galen's cold words sobered Sakura up, sucking her tears from her eyes. She stood up straighter and glared up at Galen. "I do understand but he doesn't even know what he's facing. I can't forgive him if he dies."

"You should have more faith in him. You owe him that much, your _Highness._" And without another word Galen spun on his heel and started walking down the dark tunnel in a brisk stride, his torch beckoning that they follow.

Xanthus's nursemaids gave Sakura a sympathetic look as they passed her. Riina put a hand on Sakura's shoulder while Trina stood behind her and she couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. She scooped a confused Xanthus up into her arms and gave Riina a watery smile before following after the nursemaids, Riina, Trina and the silent soldier following her in silence.

It was a couple of days later that they finally reached a dead end and Galen pressed a stone into the wall which caused the dusty, crumbling wall to separate. Everyone expected and hoped to see a ray of sunlight streaming through the widening space but all hope withered when instead a stream of bluish moonlight lit their faces instead. The only reward after days of dark, musky air was a whiff of clean, fresh night air.

Galen unmercifully smashed their high spirits when he told them they should spend the night in the tunnel until morning because he didn't think it was safe to wander around in the night on unfamiliar grounds. So everyone huddled in the darkness of the dank tunnel one more time, falling into an unsettled slumber.

The next morning Sakura awoke to Galen's voice. She grumpily mused that she liked him better before when he barely used to speak. The small group had a measly breakfast, using up the last of their supplies before falling back into a line behind Galen as he led them to Adalrich.

It was half a day before they found the small village in the mountains.

Without any hassle the group was led by a middle-aged man to a small hut where plenty of supplies was awaiting them as well as five cots.

"The women and Xanthus will stay in here for the night." Galen informed them. "Lanrick will guard for the night." The forever silent soldier nodded his head solemnly before bending his head and saluting his superior in the customary fist over the heart when Galen left the hut.

The women stood in the hut awkwardly, looking at each other.

"You're allowed to go to the hot springs before night falls. I'll take care of stocking up." the young soldier, Lanrick, smiled at them before pulling a large knapsack from a wooden shelf and kneeling before the pile of supplies.

Sakura glanced at Riina who shrugged and led the way out of the hut. Sakura bent her head in the direction of Lanrick and took Xanthus's dirty hand and followed the nursemaids out of the hut, Trina following after her.

A young girl told them how to get to the hot springs which was right around the corner from the hut they had left Lanrick in.

Sakura let Niana and Rola take care of scrubbing Xanthus clean so she could focus on herself. She washed up quickly before wading over to where Riina was soaking. The water wasn't hot, it was nice and warm and she relished in the feeling of it stroking against her as she moved.

After a little while of soaking together Sakura faced Riina with a serious expression. "Isn't this strange?"

Riina paused in fussing over her dark red locks limp with water to give Sakura a curious look, "What do you mean?"

"Why isn't Galen telling us where we're really going? He never gets angry and he's been in an unapproachable mood since we left Saarik. I think he did it on purpose so we wouldn't ask any questions."

"But we did ask him questions." Riina countered.

"Yes, but now it's like he's guarding against us asking him any more questions. Like _where are we supposed to be going_?" Sakura bit out.

Riina rolled her eyes before huffing a sigh, "Well, ask him some more questions when he comes back."

"Why are you getting all huffy? And why are you defending Galen?" Sakura pouted.

"I'm _not_. You're the one who's acting all huffy and saying Galen is hiding things from us. He's trying to help us." Riina turned her back on Sakura and began fussing over her hair again.

Sakura stared at the back of her glossy head for a few seconds before frowning, and when Riina ignored her she glared angrily at the back of her head before swimming back to where Trina was soaking.

"What's wrong?" Trina asked as soon as she saw Sakura's angry expression.

Sakura was about to go into serious venting mode when she stopped and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She shook her head after a minute or two, "Nothing, I'm just tired and frustrated. And more than anything, I'm worried about everyone."

Trina nodded and smiled sympathetically, "I'm sure his Highness knows what he's doing. They'll be fine."

Sakura gave a strained smile at Trina's poor attempt to comfort her mistress. She knew things wasn't going well when the entire city had to be evacuated and the Wall of Saarik had a hole blown into it. Or the fact that the only mage in the history of Saarik that had threatened its well-being was possibly making a comeback.

After a few more minutes of soaking, the women returned to the hut, a sleeping Xanthus cradled in Rola's thick motherly arms. Lanrick was leaning against the outside of the hut, half perched on a stool positioned next to the flap that covered the hut's entrance.

"Is Galen back yet?" Sakura asked when she was about to follow the nursemaids and Trina into the hut.

"Not yet. He should be back soon though. You should get some rest, Your Highness." Lanrick smiled, the expression revealing how young he really was; maybe nineteen or twenty.

Sakura nodded and pushed the flap aside as she entered the hut. Rola was already huddled on her cot, snoring softly. Niana was tucking Xanthus into one of the cots near the corner.

"I'll sleep with him, Niana. You get some rest." Sakura said as she made her way to the small cot.

Niana smiled gratefully before claiming the cot near to Rola's. Sakura carefully laid down in the cot trying not to disturb Xanthus from his sleep. When she curled her body around his smaller one he unconsciously cuddled into her chest and she smiled fondly at his angelic face before sleep clouded her mind.

* * *

A loud crash and numerous screams startled Sakura from her exhausted slumber. She shot upright in a confused state, looking around her in a fuzzy haze. The nursemaids' cots were empty, Riina was upright in her cot looking just as confused as Sakura felt. Trina was near the flap peeking outside. Xanthus was rousing from his sleep, groaning from the noise and on the verge of tears when he finally opened his eyes at the sound of more screams.

Sakura gathered him onto her lap where he buried his face into her chest. "Trina, what's going on?" Sakura asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She rubbed Xanthus's back soothingly.

Trina left the flap to face Sakura in surprise before answering, "I-I don't know. I can't see anything but Lanrick is missing and Rola and Niana left a few minutes ago to see if they could find out what's happening. Lanrick is supposed to be guarding us. I don't know what's happening!" Her voice took on a panicked tone near the end.

"Okay calm down. We can't panic. The village must be under attack so we need to get out of here as quick as possible." Sakura said as she climbed out of the cot, Xanthus still clutched to her chest. Riina scrambled off her cot when she registered what Sakura had said. "We'll each take one of the knapsacks Lanrick packed." She stated calmly as she hoisted one onto her shoulder, almost overbalancing at it's weight and Xanthus's sudden weight around her neck as he threw his arms around her as more screams and crashes sounded off in the distance.

Both of the other girls nodded and followed suit. Sakura walked to the flap and pulled it away from the entrance enough so she could peek through the gap. She gasped loudly and almost let her bowels loose when Galen pushed through the flap, bumping into her. She dropped her knapsack and Xanthus let out a squeal as she fell on her behind.

"Where's Lanrick?" was the first thing Galen said. At everyone's lost faces he cursed softly before helping Sakura up by the arm. "We need to leave, now. That fool Kinto sent about twenty mages here. Their wreaking havoc on the outskirts of the village so we have to get out now." He explained as he hoisted two knapsacks onto his shoulders and headed to the flap.

"Wait, what about Rola and Niana?" Trina asked, worry evident in her voice.

"We don't have time to wait for them. Let's go." Without another word he left through the flap. Riina hurried after him with a fearful look on her face. Sakura heaved the knapsack back onto her shoulder before looking at Trina.

"I'm sure they're with Lanrick. He's smart enough to know what's happening." She gave Trina an encouraging smile before following after Riina. She didn't need to look back to know Trina was right behind her.

Everywhere they looked they saw disarray and panic. People were rushing around in a frenzy trying to find their loved ones to escape the village before the mages decided to stop razing the crops and houses on the outskirts of the village and move on to the actual village. Sakura pushed herself to keep up with Galen's long strides. She heard Trina's heaving breaths and Riina's curses as her skirts tripped her and tore as she stepped on them. Xanthus was frozen in his fear and confusion, his arms around her neck like vice grips.

About five minutes after leaving the hut an explosion sounded off not too far. Sakura saw blazing fire and dark smoke furl into the reddening sky. More screams echoed around them and another explosion as another hut went into flames. Xanthus was crying now but Sakura was too busy trying not to trip or lose sight of Galen to try to comfort her son.

By the time they caught sight of the thick brush that would lead to their escape the mages made their appearance. They were laughing like clowns and their faces were twisted in cruel enjoyment as they wreaked pain and disaster on the defenseless villagers. A strangled scream sounded close behind her followed by one full of terror and Sakura turned her head automatically in stiff fear. Cold horror flopped in her stomach when she realized Rola and Niana had found them and had been running after them. The one who had screamed in terror was Niana as Rola was struck down by a dark haired mage, his maniacal laughter tearing through the nightmare around them. He had a pincer like weapon and he shot it out to clutch Rola's neck and yank her back, decapitating her in the process. Dark blood sprayed everywhere, washing Niana in a gory shower of blood so dark it shown black with red reflecting from the sky.

Sakura forced the bile down from her throat when she saw Niana had stopped running and was staring at the mage, her eyes impossibly large in her cold, raw fear. She was about to yell for the young nursemaid to run but a hand was crushed over her mouth and she looked up into Galen's dark green eyes, the gold sparks glowing as he yanked her into running again. He took Xanthus from her arms, "Concentrate on getting out of here alive. Focus." At her nod he started jogging after Riina and Trina, expecting her to follow him.

She forced her legs to move after him but when she heard a scream she turned in time to see the mage rip Niana's dress off while he shoved his pincer into her stomach, his eyes alight in psychotic lust.

Sakura would never forget those eyes.

She felt her legs almost give out when she heard Niana's screams and she felt like a traitor. She could have saved her. She could have done _something_ besides run away! She didn't even feel the hot tears streaming from her eyes. When she looked up time seemed to stop when she noticed the mage in front of her. Her legs felt like jelly but she forced herself to stay upright. She didn't feel fear, just numb. She barely registered the large distance between her and Galen and the others but her main focus was the mage in front of her. He was fair-skinned and blond. His eyes were an impossibly bright blue that stood out like crazy gems against his fair skin. They weren't beautiful; they were scary. A crazed smile spread his features and Sakura felt anger well up at his expression.

"Well what do we have here?"

Sakura froze at the voice that came from behind her. She turned to see the dark haired mage that had killed Rola and Niana. She turned her back to the side so to keep both mages in her sight. The dark haired mage had his pants open at the crotch, his penis hanging limp from the opening. She flicked her eyes to the dead body of Niana about ten feet from where she now stood. Her body was spread-eagled on the ground, her legs spread far apart, her thighs covered in red.

She felt vomit spill from her throat as she doubled over in disgust. She distantly heard the mage laughing. When she finished, she stood back up, swiping vomit from her lips and chin as she glared venomously at the dark haired mage.

"What? Jealous, ya pink slut?" the dark haired mage laughed again. "Don't worry, I'll fuck you alive." He growled out before slowly striding towards her, one hand twirling his pincer from its chain while the other hand worked on his penis, reawakening it.

"Back off Zirk, you necrophiliac fuck." the blond haired mage interrupted.

Sakura didn't take her eyes off from the dark haired 'Zirk' even when he stopped to glare at the blond mage.

"What the fuck do you want, Anzel? Shit!" Zirk whined. "Can't you see I'm busy?" he shook his hardening penis at 'Anzel' while letting his pincer fall to the ground.

Sakura flicked her eyes to Anzel in time to see him roll his eyes in disgust.

"Put that disgusting flab of shit back in your fucking pants and back the fuck off. She's mine. I saw her first while you were fucking that dead bitch." Anzel hooked his arms over the long rod across his shoulder with a scythe at the end, the rising sun glinting off the clean blade.

"What the hell! So what if you saw her first? I don't give a shit! And why the fuck would I put this flab of wonders away? It's got work to do." Zirk shouted humorously, leering at Sakura.

Before Zirk could look at Anzel again, the blond mage moved up and punched him right in the face, throwing him back about two feet flat on his back. Without missing a beat Zirk shot his pincer back at Anzel who knocked it away effortlessly with his scythe.

Sakura stood there awkwardly for about two seconds before she realized what she was doing. Silently berating herself for being so slow she gathered chakra to her legs and shot off in the direction she had seen Galen and the others. When she reached the brush she pelted right into Galen and they tumbled over each other. A tree trunk stood in their path as they rolled into it and Sakura fell to the side with Galen's back flush against the trunk of the tree.

"Where the hell were you? I could be dead by now!" Sakura bit out after she sucked in some air.

Galen shook his head, "I had to fight off a mage and get the others to a safe spot before I could get to you. I'm sorry but you're not defenseless like the others."

Sakura was taken aback by his blunt answer. She was so used to everyone thinking they had to protect her because she was the Empress and a woman that she forgot that she had some pretty powerful tricks herself. She had forgotten how to be a ninja in the long years she had been babied in Saarik.

She smiled at Galen, "Thanks."

He quirked his lips up in reply before getting to his feet and pulling her to her feet by the hand, "Come on. We don't have time, we have to get the others and get as far from here as possible."

Sakura nodded before following him deeper into the brush. The knapsack on her back was crushed and covered in dirt but she still kept it in case there was anything she could salvage from it.

They found the others in a space between the rocky side of the mountain where Galen had left them. It was so narrow that Galen couldn't even fit between it. After they had squeezed out of it they engulfed Sakura in turn and Xanthus couldn't stop crying and clinging to his mother after.

"What happened to you Sakura?" Trina asked after they had welcomed her back.

Sakura stopped fussing over Xanthus and turned to Trina with a forced smile, "I just couldn't keep up. Then I remembered I could use chakra so that's how I caught up. Silly of me, right?" She laughed sheepishly, not fooling anyone but Riina and Xanthus.

"So where are we going now?" Riina asked, adjusting her bulging knapsack so something would stop poking her side and missing the concerned look Trina gave Sakura.

"The Village Hidden in the Sand." Galen clipped out nonchalantly.

Sakura choked on her spit at Galen's answer, "What the hell? We're going to Konoha?"

Riina gave Sakura a strange look, "No, dummy. He said the Village Hidden in the Sand." She looked at Galen like if they were sharing a joke at Sakura's expense but Galen just stared back expressionless.

Sakura punched Riina on the arm lightly but the girl still acted like it hurt and rubbed it childishly.

"I think I know the difference between Sunagakure and Konohagakure, Riina, I _was _a ninja." Sakura stated in her old know-it-all tone like when she was still a genin.

"Konohaga-what?" Riina whispered to Trina who just shrugged.

Sakura rolled her eyes before turning to Galen again, "So, are we really going back to Konoha?"

"After we get to Suna. You should know the usual path of traveling from Saarik to Konoha or have you forgotten?"

Sakura smirked, "No, I remember. What are we waiting for? Let's go." She led the way through the brush, Xanthus still clutched to her and her pathetic looking knapsack sagging from her shoulders.

Galen stopped Trina from following, "Wait."

And as if on cue Sakura stumbled back into sight with a sheepish expression, "Um, how do we get to Suna from Adalrich again?"

Galen just shook his head and took lead with a laughing Riina and a giggling Trina following suit.

* * *

**Okay, that was a crazy chapter. I hope everything was believable. I know it ended pretty fast but I wanted to get a chapter out to you guys. I hope you liked it despite it's rushed ending. And I know it ended in a lighter tone than the rest of the chapter was but only Sakura saw what really happened to Rola and especially to Niana and she got more angry than how a normal person should have reacted to what she saw. Maybe later she'll act like normal people and hyperventilate or something. lol. I know those two mages are SICK (and not in a good way) especially Zirk but damn, they were fun to create! I think I'll be bringing them back later. Watch out!**

**Pronunciations:**

**Scarle: rhymes with Carl  
**

**Lanrick: land-rick**

**Zirk: zerk**

**Anzel: and-zell**

**REVIEW! Tell me if you like the gore! lol! jk!**

**yuru  
**


	10. Here's To The Past

**Sorry this took so long to come out. I needed some inspiration. Anyway, this chapter is lot more LIGHTER and happier than the last chapter. I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it. **

**The perspective changes a lot without warning, but I don't think it's confusing or hard to figure out. I hope it doesn't cause any problems.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Naruto nor anything related to Naruto but I DO own everything not related to Naruto, like Saarik^^.

* * *

  
**

**Chapter Ten  
**_Here's To The Past_

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The sun had beat down on the five figures mercilessly as they fought their way across the wide expanse of desert. Covered in sand and features haggard from hard travels, they were barely recognizable when they had arrived in Suna a week before.

Sakura remembered the shocked looks they got from the Kazekage and his siblings after she had thrown her name around in order to see him, hoping her reputation and old rank was still recognized so far from Konoha. She had told him everything that had happened and he immediately sent a hawk to Konoha to inform the Hokage of her impending return. Then they were allowed to rest for a day and restocked their supplies before they were on their way again. Sakura forced Trina to stay because she was practically dropping from the unused hard travels and her skin was blotchy and red from the constant sunlight. Her ankles were swollen and she was beginning to get sick. Riina surprisingly was fine, if not fatigued even though she never did a hard day's work in her entire life.

Gaara had insisted on them taking a couple of his shinobi with them until they reached the border in case any of the mages from Saarik caught up to them. Once the border was in sight, the Suna shinobi said their 'goodbyes' and watched the small group cross the border into the lush shade of Fire Country before dashing back to their Hidden Village.

Sakura practically fell into the first stream they found, splashing and playing with Xanthus and Riina, relieved and lighthearted as they felt the hardest part of their journey had passed without any more encounters with any of the psychotic mages.

After an hour of rest Galen had forced them to start again, stating that they were still too close to the border for his liking.

Now Sakura led them through the dense forest that made up the Fire Country since it was her home country and she was more familiar with their surroundings than Galen. It was on the third day after they crossed the border when Konoha's ANBU found them.

They had just finished their five-minute break and were trekking through the forest when Sakura sensed something amiss. She stopped dead in her tracks, about to motion for Galen when figures dropped silently from the trees around the small group.

There were seven of them, each with a different mask to protect their identity. They weren't hostile but they didn't treat them like allies either. They encircled the four-member group, motionless and fearsome.

A shinobi wearing a tiger mask stepped out of the circle to address them. "You are Haruno Sakura?"

Sakura straightened from her tense stance before giving a firm nod, "I am."

"You are to come with us. If you resist we will act with force to detain you."

"We won't resist."

He gave a small nod before turning around and heading off in the same direction Sakura had been leading them moments before. The other ANBU fell into place around them, moving effortlessly through the leaf strewn forest floor without a sound.

One shinobi with a monkey mask jerked his head when Xanthus stumbled forward to grasp Sakura's hand. Sakura gave the ANBU shinobi a stern glare when she saw his gloved hand hovering over the pouch on his leg. He seemed to hesitate for a second before dropping his hand and facing forward again.

_What the hell is a two-year old going to do?_ Sakura griped in her mind as she lifted Xanthus over a fallen tree trunk.

Despite his fatigue and fear of the masked men, he tried to scramble over to a fat green lizard lazing on the log. Sakura had to drag him away from it and heave him off the side of the trunk before giving him the most serious no-nonsense stare she could muster. He wilted under her heavy stare and looked down at the ground, scuffing a twig with the toe of his boot.

Sakura's heart clenched but she ignored the uncomfortable feeling before taking his hand and continuing after the tiger masked shinobi. She paid no mind to the small glances the other ANBU shinobi were throwing her way, no doubt amused by the little boy's antics and her attempt to discipline him.

After three dragged out hours the looming gates of Konoha finally came into view.

Sakura's heart started thumping faster at the sight.

"Wow Mama! Look at that!" Xanthus exclaimed, tugging at her hand and pointing jerkily in the general direction of the Village. "Is that where we hafta go?"

Sakura smiled as she looked down at his excited expression, practically bouncing in place. "Yes, that's where we'll be staying for a little while." She said softly, aware that she had an audience.

His amber eyes widened in wonder before he turned to stare at the large, faintly green wooden gates that, unbeknown to him, led to his mother's past.

* * *

"Hey did you hear? A bunch of strange looking people just passed through the gates escorted by ANBU! What's Hokage-sama up to now?"

Sasuke barely paid any heed to the noisy teen trying to impress his date with unimpressive gossip in the next stall in the restaurant. He merely nudged a piece of tempura around his plate before taking a sip of his oolong tea.

"Why'd we have to come here? It's so noisy and the ramen sucks!"

Sasuke clenched his jaw at Naruto's whiny voice as he complained to Hinata who just smiled like it was cute.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Ah, shut it Naruto! We're tired of meeting up at friggin' Ichiraku! It doesn't even have enough stools for all of us, shit!"

Sasuke took another sip of his tea to hide his grin at Hinata's disapproving look at Kiba's foul way of expressing himself. He heard Shikamaru mumble something being 'troublesome' in his corner of the stall.

"Yeah, Naruto. It's time we broadened our horizons. So stop being so spoiled!" Ino huffed next to Chouji, flipping her long hair over her shoulder in a haughty manner.

"You're one to talk, Ino! You're the most spoiled person I know!" Naruto very nearly yelled. But when Hinata placed a soft hand on his arm he relaxed and turned away to slurp up another mouthful of ramen.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at his disgusting lack-of manners.

"Hey Shino, you gonna eat that?" Kiba asked, not waiting for the stoic man to reply before grabbing a chunk of something off his teammate's plate and shoving it in his mouth.

Sasuke felt a tic start as he forced his mind to blank out the people around him and focus on his own food.

He still didn't know why he kept showing up to these get-togethers. Maybe it was to shut-up Naruto's constant whining and begging for him to come but that didn't make sense because the guy whined about _everything_. And it didn't help that he found himself a quiet, patient wife who thought these childish antics were _cute_.

As Sasuke mulled over these thoughts he found himself glaring at the couple sitting across from him.

Naruto was in the middle of feeding Hinata a piece of beef from his ramen when he felt Sasuke's dark glare. He straightened and eyed the man across from him with a confused look.

"Why are you glaring at me Sasuke-teme? If you want to be lovey dovey with someone why don't you just ask Sayuri-chan out?" Naruto asked innocently.

Sasuke's glare intensified and Hinata looked between the two worriedly as the rest of the table went quiet.

The silence was broken when Naruto snorted on his laugh and fell into snickering at Sasuke's murderous glare.

"What's wrong with Sayuri?" Ino asked, confused by Naruto's humor and Sasuke's dark aura.

Naruto managed to come under control in time to answer, "Nothing's wrong with her. She's awesome. Sasuke just doesn't want to go out with her because her name is too similar to 'you-know-who's'" He gave the rest of the table a 'you know what I'm talking about' look.

Ino's confused look morphed into one of sly mischief, "Oh, you mean _Sakura_?"

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes as everyone at the table turned to look at him to gauge his reaction.

"I don't care that her name is similar to Sakura's. It has nothing to do with that." Sasuke grumbled out, looking at the rest of the restaurant so he didn't have to look at the nosy people he was having lunch with.

"Then why don't you want to go out with her? She's not hot enough for you?" Ino asked in a sympathetic tone, gaining laughs and chuckles from the rest of the table.

Sasuke took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh, closing his eyes for a moment to calm down.

"She's too..." He started, opening his eyes and taken aback by Naruto, Ino and Kiba leaning almost halfway across the table, practically hanging off his every word and it didn't help that Hinata, Shikamaru and hell, even Shino were looking at him with curiosity. His only ally was Chouji who hadn't bothered to stop eating.

This time he did roll his eyes.

"She's too what?" Naruto prodded.

...

...

...

"Dominating." Sasuke mumbled after what seemed like five minutes but was really only one.

"What?" Ino asked loudly, "Stop mumbling into your teacup!" She snapped annoyingly, smacking the table with her palm causing Chouji's dishes to rattle.

This triggered Naruto to go into a whining frenzy as he begged Sasuke to tell them, that he promised he wouldn't laugh. His voice got louder as he tried to compete with Kiba's _'stop being a pansy and spit it out, Uchiha.'_ and Ino's blabbering about _why_ he should tell them and they could help him if it turned out he was gay and if he was she knew it for a while and that he had her support.

People from the other stalls and tables were starting to look in the direction of the rising voices and Sasuke felt his resolve breaking.

He sent a death glare in their directions before almost yelling, "She's too damn dominating! She won't stop demanding things from me and whenever I do something she doesn't like she stops talking to me for weeks and leaves dead animals on my doorstep every morning until I buy her something as an apology. She burned down a tree in my yard and poisoned my koi fish pond because I didn't compliment her new hairstyle. She keeps telling everyone I'm her boyfriend even though we've never been on a date and she threatened to kill and maim every single girl she caught looking at me. She won't leave me the fuck alone." Sasuke finished his very uncharacteristic rant that had most likely been building up since the first day he met Sayuri.

The entire table went silent for about two minutes before everyone simultaneously burst into laughter, Shino only chuckling and Hinata giggling. The three most boisterous ones were the three that had been the most nosy; Naruto was full-out laughing, holding his sides and tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Kiba was slapping the table and howling with laughter while Ino had slumped back in her seat, her face red from lack of air. Shikamaru was the first to quiet down but he kept an amused smirk plastered to his face at Sasuke's murderous glare, noticing the flush to the last Uchiha's cheeks.

"What's so funny, guys? We could hear you laughing all the way outside."

Everyone looked towards the new voice, little bursts of giggles bubbling up once in a while. Tenten, Neji and Lee were standing at the edge of the table with amused expressions and curious glances towards the glowering Uchiha.

They scooted down the table to make room for the newcomers as Naruto and Ino retold Sasuke's embarrassing confession, Kiba throwing in his piece whenever they forgot something.

Lee smacked Sasuke on the back in what he thought was a sympathetic manner but it almost pushed Sasuke face-first into his plate.

"Ah, the pains of unrequited love." Lee sighed.

"Whose got unrequited love?" Sasuke grumbled glumly, clenching his fists under the table.

"Well, we have news of our own, although who knows if it can beat Sasuke's love-troubles." Tenten smirked in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke glared back before turning his glare at his food.

"What is it, Tenten-san?" Hinata's soft voice broke the silence and brought the attention back to Tenten.

"Um, we just got back from training and as you know we pass by the front gates right?" Tenten started, sounding like a teenager who just got her hands on a piece of juicy gossip. Ino was lapping it up with eagerness.

"Well, today we were passing by as usual and guess who's strolling through the gates, flanked by a seven-squad ANBU force and a handful of strangely dressed people?" Tenten let it drag out before exclaiming, "_Sakura_! She's back!"

Naruto felt his chopsticks slip from his fingers and clatter into his ramen bowl, splattering ramen everywhere, the echo of a teacup falling and spilling its contents across the wooden table triggered chaos to ensue.

* * *

"Sakura, I can't believe it. To think it's been three years since you've been home and to hear this kind of news." The Hokage sat behind her large desk in her office, staring at the new arrivals in deep contemplation. Shizune and Jiraiya hovered nearby after Tsunade had dismissed her ANBU squad.

Sakura stood in front of the Hokage's desk, waiting patiently for her old sensei to absorb everything she had revealed after their heartfelt and teary reunion. Her legs ached and her stomach clenched with hunger but she stood straight and motionless, falling back into her long-forgotten shinobi mode.

Riina had a firm hold on Xanthus and Galen stood behind them, his arms loose by his sides but his eyes were alert and roving to take in his surroundings and the other people in the room.

"I'll have to call a meeting with the elders. This could be related to the sudden lack of activity from Akatsuki. Who knows what havoc they could bring if they figured out how to use that land's powers. I'll hold the meeting in a few days to give you some time to rest so you can be present for the meeting."

"Galen will be coming as well." Sakura interrupted. At Tsunade's skeptical look she added, "He's one of the emperor's top three soldiers and he's here on the emperor's behalf and should be treated with the utmost respect."

Tsunade looked taken aback, Jiraiya and Shizune stared in shock at Sakura's commanding tone. They still couldn't believe she had grown so much from the young, hot-tempered girl into this proud, commanding woman who, despite her haggard appearance, reeked of control and poise.

"Of course." Tsunade agreed reluctantly, still apprehensive but trusting her past apprentice.

Sakura let the "empress act" fade and smiled gratefully at the Hokage. "Um, where will we be staying?"

"I had a house rented out for you but I doubt you would want to stay in it. It was the only thing available on such short notice. If you don't want to stay there I'll let you stay in the guest house until we find somewhere appropriate for you to stay. I don't think you would want to stay in an apartment when you have this little one; he'd be restless." Tsunade motioned to Xanthus who stared up at her in open curiosity.

Sakura looked at her suspiciously, "Where exactly is this place and why wouldn't I want to stay there?" She flicked her eyes to Jiraiya who coughed into his hand to hide his grin. Shizune pursed her lips to keep from smiling. Sakura narrowed her emerald gaze onto the Hokage who looked away awkwardly.

"It's located in the Uchiha district."

Sakura felt her mouth fall open as she gaped in astonishment at what Tsunade was saying. She wanted _her_ to stay in the _Uchiha district_?!

"B-But Sasuke _hates_ me!" Sakura protested pathetically.

Before Tsunade could deny it, they all felt a flare of familiar chakra right before the doors to the Hokage's office were blown open and Naruto hurtled in, searching frantically around the room.

Galen flicked his sword out of its scabbard but halted his movements when he heard Sakura gasp "_Naruto?!" _

Naruto immediately shot over to her and scooped her up into a tight hug that took her breath away.

"Who is that, Riina? Why's he hugging Mama? Doesn't he know Daddy will hate him for hugging Mama?" Xanthus questioned as he tugged on Riina's hand.

"I-I don't know Xanthus. He's probably just her friend, don't worry." Riina assured the young prince, before throwing a suspicious look in Sakura's direction. She still had her arms around the other man's neck and there were tears in his eyes. _What a pansy._

Then she felt another presence and then some more behind the first so she glanced over her shoulder in time to see a gorgeous raven-haired man with a cold aura stroll into the room followed by a perfectly proportioned young woman with long pale blond hair and startling blue eyes. Then an elegant and very poised woman with long hair so black it gleamed blue followed after the blond and Riina was taken aback by her pale lavender, almost white eyes. _Was she blind...? No...it doesn't look like it....this place is stranger than Saarik. _

Riina watched as the blond woman elbowed the blond man out of the way to pull Sakura into a tight hug after yelling "Forehead-girl why the hell didn't you write?"

_'Forehead-girl...?'_

Riina turned to give Galen a perplexed look before catching the raven-haired man's eye. He regarded her coolly as he leaned against the back wall near the doors. His lips twitched in an almost 'scoff' before turning to look at the small group surrounding Sakura.

Riina felt her face flush at his blatant dismissal of her as something inferior before she glared hard at him and turned to face the group in front of her. The white-eyed woman was there now, talking softly but the light in her white eyes showed her excitement as she chatted with Sakura.

The blond man finally noticed the raven-haired one and glared at him playfully.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Get your ass over here and greet Sakura! You know you missed her!" Naruto grinned at Sasuke's alarmed glare before Naruto whispered loudly to Sakura so everyone would still hear, "He's been saving himself for you!"

The other two women laughed but Riina frowned deeply, her eyebrows furrowing when Sakura just blinked blankly at Naruto before shaking her head and straining a smile.

"Hey, don't swear, can't you see there's a kid here?" Riina snapped, her words tinged with annoyance.

Sakura seemed to come back to herself and smacked the blond man over the head, "Yeah, Naruto. Mind your manners." She said as she walked over to the small travel worn group.

Naruto looked at them like he had just noticed they were there as he rubbed his head where Sakura smacked him. Ino regarded Riina, instantly not liking her because of her haughty manner (despite her being haughty as well). Hinata smiled politely in greeting, moving to stand next to Naruto.

"I'd like to introduce you guys to my old friends," Sakura said to Riina, and Galen as she scooped Xanthus into her arms.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga or should I say Uzumaki Hinata," Sakura added with a sly grin in the other woman's direction, "and Uchiha Sasuke." She ended with a lazy motion in the Uchiha's direction who had yet to greet her.

The three aforementioned greeted the small group politely, though Naruto was a little too enthusiastic about it.

"So who's this little guy? You forgot to introduce him." Naruto said loudly, ruffling Xanthus's hair with a wide grin causing the boy to clutch the front of Sakura's clothes shyly.

"This is Xanthus," Sakura started, smoothing his ruffled hair down.

Before she could finish Naruto interrupted, "Hi, Xanthus! I'm Naruto. You sure like Sakura-chan huh? I like her a lot too. Can I hold him Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto, I wasn't finished." Sakura stated flatly.

"..O-Oh. Ah, go on then." He scratched the back of his head before moving backwards slowly, almost cautiously so as not to make Sakura angry and start yelling like he remembered when they were young.

"This is Xanthus, my son." Sakura finished cheerfully. She smiled at the blank expressions of the three newcomers, already expecting the reaction.

Naruto blinked blankly like how Sakura had previously done before shooting a glance towards Galen and then a nervous one to Sasuke.

"Oh my gosh! Sakura! He's adorable! Lemme hold him!" Ino snatched Xanthus from Sakura's arms before cooing at him, "Hi! I'm your Oba-saaaan! Nice to meet you! You're so cute! Look Hinata! When are you going to have one? He's so cute! I want one!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "He's not a puppy, Ino-pig! He's a human boy! And you're scaring him! Stop cooing over him like that! He'll grow up to dread you." Sakura snatched her son back who stared at Ino in childish anger as he dramatically wiped his cheek where she had planted a kiss.

Hinata was still blushing from Ino's comment on her and Naruto having a baby. Ino pouted at Sakura, still reaching out for Xanthus who turned his face away into his mother's chest.

Sasuke went still at the news and stared at the pink-haired woman and then slid his eyes down to the small platinum blond boy in her arms. Then he felt Naruto looking at him and he slid his dark eyes to meet his friend's worried blue ones. He gave him a small smirk before giving a slight shrug like it didn't matter.

Naruto's brows furrowed sadly before he turned back to Sakura.

Galen watched the exchange from the corner of his eye and he didn't like it one bit. He flicked his eyes to the raven-haired man to see him staring at Sakura. He fought down the urge to scowl and shot the raven-haired man a suspicious look before facing forward again.

"So who's the father, eh, Forehead-girl?" Ino nudged Sakura's side, glancing in Galen's direction and earning a scowl from Riina.

Sakura forced the sadness she felt away before smiling, "He's not here. You don't know him, obviously."

Ino pouted again before tapping her chin thoughtfully, "Well, was he one of the gorgeous guys that came last time when you left?"

The color drained from Sakura's face before she nodded shakily.

Ino brightened, "So, which one? The one with the blue hair was really cute. Or was it the red hair one?" She squealed at the thought.

Riina glared at the mention of her brother and looked at Galen in a "can you believe this girl" way.

"Ah, neither one." Sakura ran her fingers through Xanthus's hair.

"Well, tell me!" Ino whined.

The rest of the room went silent. Tsunade looked to Sakura worriedly, about to say something to save the girl from the uncomfortable situation. Sakura had mentioned that she didn't want anyone to know that she had been an empress; she knew it would create a lot of awkward situations.

"Hey, Ino-chan, I think Sakura-chan is very tired. Why don't you visit her another time after she's rested?" Shizune piped up before Tsunade could. Jiraiya nodded his agreement.

Ino was about to protest but Sakura cut her off, "No, it's fine. They're bound to find out anyway." She smiled in thanks to Shizune before answering, "It was the silver-haired one."

"The silver-haired one..." Ino tapped her chin again trying to remember before she froze and her eyes widened.

Hinata covered her mouth in surprise when she too remembered.

Only Sasuke and Naruto were left confused because they hadn't paid much attention to the strange men because they were too focused on the return of their teammate.

"Why's everybody so shocked? Who's the silver-haired guy?" Naruto asked loudly, glancing towards his wife and Ino, his face perplexed. "Can't be Kaka-sensei can it?" He laughed at his own joke and didn't notice the disgusted looks he earned from Sakura and Sasuke.

Sakura smiled tightly after Naruto quieted down, "No, it's Azryal, he's the-"

"_Emperor!_" Ino shrieked and practically threw herself to Sakura, questions and exclamations spilling from her lips. Even Hinata came close to hear what she would say and to add her own excited questions.

Xanthus had piped up at the mention of his father and started running his mouth a mile-a-minute about how he couldn't wait until he saw his Daddy again and what they would do and how much fun it would be and how nobody would try to hug Mama because Daddy would kill them and they would all be happy and together forever and ever and ever.

Naruto gaped at the implication of what this meant and then looked back at Sasuke with a defeated expression as he moved closer to his friend to lean against the wall next to him.

"Sorry, Sasuke-teme. But you don't stand a chance against what she's already got. Even though you're very pretty." Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder comfortingly.

Sasuke almost growled in annoyance before swiping his friend's hand off of him.

"What makes you think I was even interested in her? You just jumped to conclusions all on your own." Sasuke scoffed.

"Just keep telling yourself that, Sasuke. One day the pain will disappear." Naruto nodded as he said it.

"Alright everyone. It's time you left Sakura alone. She's dead tired and you're not helping. I'm sure they're all exhausted." Tsunade said, authority lacing her words. She ushered Ino and Hinata away from the young mother before glancing at Sakura.

"Are you okay with staying in the Uchiha District?" Tsunade whispered under Ino's loud protests and the adventures Xanthus was still describing he and his Daddy will have.

Sakura sighed tiredly, "Yes, it's fine. I'm too tired to complain, really." She smiled before setting the still yapping Xanthus on the floor.

Tsunade nodded before turning to face where Sasuke was still leaning on the wall, "Sasuke, these are your new tenants I mentioned earlier."

Sasuke's shoulder actually slipped on the wall, his eyes widening slightly before he schooled his features into a blank stare and nodded. He pushed off the wall and headed out of the office.

"What? Sakura-chan is staying with Sasuke?" _Maybe there's hope yet!_ Naruto rapidly thought in excitement.

"No, they're just renting one of the houses in the Uchiha district. Don't get your hopes up, Naruto." Tsunade clarified before pulling Sakura into another hug. "I'll see you at the meeting later this week, alright?"

Sakura nodded before pulling away and taking Xanthus's hand.

"It was nice meeting all of you." Tsunade smiled at Sakura's companions before returning to sit behind her desk.

Riina and Galen replied politely before following Sakura out of the office. Naruto and Ino scrambled after them while Hinata bowed politely and followed.

When all the younger people had left, Tsunade slumped in her chair and let out a long tired sigh before facing Jiraiya and Shizune.

"This is going to get _very _interesting."

Before the others could reply, their was a _pop_ and a poof of smoke before Kakashi appeared on the windowsill behind the Hokage's desk.

"I heard Sakura returned?" He stated simply, his _Icha Icha_ book hanging from his hand.

Tsunade rolled her eyes in annoyance, "You're late, as usual Kakashi. You just missed her."

He was about to poof out of there to go after her but Tsunade stopped him, "And she's dead tired. Visit her tomorrow." She smirked at his disappointed look before sobering up and becoming serious. Then the Hokage began the dreaded discussion about the coming catastrophe Sakura had brought light upon.

* * *

"This is awkward." Riina whispered to Sakura as they followed Sasuke to what she presumed was the 'Uchiha District'.

Naruto and Hinata had left a little while ago with Ino to tell the rest of the Rookie Nine and Gai's Team about what happened and promised they'll come visit tomorrow. So they were left with the silent Uchiha who Riina thought was an antisocial rude jerk with no manners whatsoever who didn't deserve to be considered Sakura's friend.

Sakura shrugged, keeping an eye on Xanthus as he skipped ahead of Sasuke, waving a stick in the air like a sword.

"He's always been like that. Get used to it." She glanced at Riina with a slight smirk before turning back to watch her son, "I still can't fathom how that child has so much energy! He was practically dropping with fatigue before we got here and now look at him."

Riina giggled when she heard Xanthus yell a battle-cry that Rene was known to yell when he trained.

"How far is the Uchiha District?" Galen asked, finally breaking his age-long silence since they had arrived in Konoha.

"Uh, it's near the outskirts of town. Probably another ten or twenty minutes. I don't think I've ever been there, actually." Sakura answered, her features becoming thoughtful.

"But weren't you guys teammates? You've never been to his house?" Riina asked.

"Well, we weren't exactly the closest of friends. I had the biggest crush on him when I was younger and he utterly despised me because I was always flirting with him and trying to get his attention. I was actually pretty annoying." Sakura joked. She noticed a tenseness to Sasuke's shoulders and her smile turned into another smirk.

"Ugh, how can you ever have liked such a stick in the mud?" Riina blanched at the thought. "I'm glad to see your tastes have improved." She stated haughtily, obviously referring to Azryal.

"Shh, Riina! He'll hear you!" Sakura giggled, her finger over her lips as she shushed the younger girl.

"I don't care!"

Galen felt his lips twitch into a smile at Riina's blunt words and Sakura's very loud 'shushing'. He glanced at Uchiha Sasuke and noticed his clenched fists and stiff shoulders. He no doubt heard everything, despite walking a few feet ahead of them.

After a couple more minutes the Uchiha District came into view and Sakura was surprised to see how busy it was. They passed under the archway that led into the district and noticed how the Uchiha red and white fan was only on the entrance and nowhere else.

"Wow, it's so busy. So you rented out the houses?" Sakura asked, looking around with interest at the bustling people.

"Hn." Was Sasuke's only answer.

Riina blanched in disgust at his rudeness but was given a warning glare from Sakura to not say anything.

He led them down a nice stone cobbled path to a quaint traditional house settled in between numerous trees and large rocks in various spots in the yard. A good sized koi fish pond was to the left of the front of the house with three plump koi fish swimming in it.

"The Hokage already has the first month paid off, I'll come for next month's rent when it's time. These are the keys and I expect you to keep the property in good order." He handed the keys over to Sakura and with a slight bow of his head he headed up the path they had come from.

Sakura gaped after him, shocked by his formal words and cold indifference.

"Like I said, he's a complete jerk." Riina muttered loudly before snatching the keys from Sakura's fingers and trudging up the steps that led to the front doors. Xanthus pelted after her in excitement.

"It's no use staring after him, your Highness. We should all get some rest. We're not on a vacation." Galen stated calmly before motioning for Sakura to go into the house.

Sakura smiled at him sadly before following the other two's path.

He was right. They weren't here because they wanted to be. They had business to get down to and she wanted this to be over as quick as possible so she could return to her life in Saarik and to her Emperor.

* * *

**Alright! I hope everyone was in character and you guys liked this chapter. I told you it was much more lighter than chapter nine but don't get too used to it because it won't stay all happy and light for long. Oh noes!!!! **

**Please review! I love reading the reviews and it REALLY gives me inspiration to keep on writing!**

**yuru  
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	11. A Flurry Of Emotion

**Woo, this was one long-ass chapter! My fingers are gonna fall off! Hope you guys enjoy it. Another light chapter for you guys until things get darker later on. Be prepared.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto, but I DO own everything NOT related to Naruto (like Saarik)^^.

* * *

  
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**Chapter Eleven  
**_A Flurry Of Emotion_

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"So what happened?"

Sasuke took a deep breath at Naruto's annoying question that he'd been repeating since he arrived a half hour ago. After Sasuke had left Sakura and those other people at the house he had returned to his house that was located near the back of the district in a secluded area. He had taken a long shower and had just finished dinner when Naruto banged on his door demanding to know what happened.

"Nothing, dobe. I left her there and came home. Her friends think I'm a jerk and her son is annoying. What else do you want to know?" Sasuke drawled as he took a swig from his beer.

Naruto pouted and nudged his friend with his toe.

"Don't touch me with your feet!" Sasuke snarled in disgust, moving away from his offending toe.

Naruto wiggled his toes teasingly before sitting up straight. They were lounging on the deck that encircled Sasuke's traditional house, watching his shady yard. The sky was lit with beautiful colors as the sun began to set.

"Aw, my feet aren't dirty, I had a bath before I came here."

"I don't care. Don't touch me." Sasuke took another swig before setting the empty bottle down beside him. "When are you going home? I'm tired. I'm sure Hinata would like you home."

"Naw, she went to visit her father. She'll probably be back in a couple of hours. Why are you so tired? We didn't even train that much today." Naruto flopped back onto the wooden deck, his empty beer bottle rolling around beside him.

"I just am. Go home." Sasuke was leaning against the wall of his house with his legs stretched out in front of him with one knee bent.

"Hey, this place must get really lonely when you're by yourself, huh? Why don't you get a dog or something?" Naruto wondered, completely ignoring Sasuke's attempts to get rid of him.

"Why do I need a dog when I have you?" Sasuke replied dryly.

"Aw, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" Naruto cooed happily, pretending to misunderstand the insult.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Dobe."

"Teme."

"Go home."

"No, you go home."

"I am home, idiot."

"Your home is where Sakura lies."

"Would you shut up about her? I don't like her so stop thinking that I do."

"You're just mad 'cuz she's got a hot husband and you're still a virgin." Naruto laughed.

"What makes you think I'm a virgin?" Sasuke asked, slightly offended.

"I've never seen you with a girl."

"I don't care to show you the girls I get with."

"Well, I hope Orochimaru didn't turn you gay or anything. You know how he had the hots for your body and whatnot."

"I'm not gay. Why does everyone think I'm gay?"

"You're pretty enough to be a girl."

"Are you sure _you're_ not gay? That's the second time you've told me I'm pretty."

"Sorry but I've got a gorgeous wife. I don't need you." Naruto grinned broadly at the Uchiha who glared back.

Before the two men could continue their bantering a shrill, feminine voice broke the peaceful air followed by two loud knocks on the wooden gates of the stone wall that encircled Sasuke's property.

"Sasuuuukkkeee-kuuunnnnn! Are you hoooommmmeee?"

"Aw fuck." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair before motioning for Naruto to stay quiet.

Naruto's grin broadened mischievously and Sasuke gave him a warning glare.

But before he could do anything to annoy Sasuke even more a young woman in her budding twenties hopped over the wall and landed gracefully on the cobbled path that led to the house. Her hair was a pastel lavender color that was almost white and it went past her bottom in thick silken waves. She had soft ringlets framing her angelic face that fell below her collarbone. Her eyes were a soft pink that blended beautifully with her hair color and pale skin tone.

She was wearing a skin-tight mini dress that had slits down the sides. Her high-heeled boots ran up to mid thigh and she had gloves that started at her wrists and ended at the middle of her upper arms. Her fingernails were painted a shocking neon pink and she had on glimmering lipstick.

Her lush glossed lips curled into a sexy smirk when she spotted the men on the porch, her pink eyes settling on the glowering Uchiha.

"Hiya, Sayuri-chan!" Naruto greeted cheerfully from his spot on the deck.

Sayuri smiled sweetly at Naruto as she strolled across the yard to get closer to the men, her rounded hips swaying deliciously for the benefit of Sasuke who continued to glare at the sky.

"Hey Naruto-kun! What are you up to?" She asked as she sidled up to the edge of the deck before perching delicately on the wooden floor, as close as she could get to Sasuke's feet. She crossed her well-defined legs, making sure her skirt rode up just for Sasuke to see.

"Ah, just bugging Sasuke. What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, already knowing the answer.

"To see Sasuke-kun of course." She smiled seductively at the Uchiha who didn't even glance at her. So she turned her attention back to Naruto, "Hey where were you guys after training today?"

"Oh, we had that get-together with our old friends. It's really rare for all of us to be home at the same time 'cuz of missions and stuff. Sorry we had to ditch you so soon after training. I bet Kaka-sensei was a real bore, huh?"

"Yeah, I left him to his porn and went shopping instead. How do you like my new dress Sasuke-kun?" Sayuri turned her attention to Sasuke again, arching her back so her ample chest was puffed out for his viewing.

"Hn." Was his only reply.

Sayuri's sweet expression turned dark at his indifference, "Hey, did you like my present I left at your door this morning?"

At the mention of the dead rat that was left to rot on his doorstep Sasuke turned his cold eyes on her. He slid his eyes from her face and slowly down her body where it lingered in certain areas before making his way back up to her face to meet her smoldering pink eyes. He smirked slightly before looking away.

Sayuri felt a shiver run down her spine at his quiet approval and continued to stare at him hungrily.

"Uh, well, I'll see you guys tomorrow, right? I bet Hinata's back from her dad's so see ya." Naruto stated uncomfortably before pulling his sandals on and sliding off the deck.

Sasuke glared after him, pissed that in order to get one annoying idiot to leave him alone, an annoying harpy had to take his place.

Sayuri waved after Naruto happily and when the gate _thudded _closed behind him, she turned her predatory eyes onto the silently fuming Uchiha.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, what do you want to do now?" Sayuri asked, her voice low and husky as she leaned towards him, the zipper on her dress low enough to show some cleavage when she leaned down.

"Why the hell are you always trying to seduce me?" Sasuke asked bluntly, finally looking at her seriously. "You would think that after two years of it not working that you would try something else or give up."

Sayuri pouted, "But I love you."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair again as he let out an exasperated sigh, "No you don't. You just like how I look."

"I'm not _that_ shallow." At his droll stare, Sayuri rolled her eyes, "Alright, maybe a little shallow. But I don't just like how you look. I like you as you." She finished simply.

"Okay, what do you like about me then?" Sasuke fixed his dark eyes on her, waiting for her bullshitting to commence.

She looked up thoughtfully for a second before brightening, "Well, I like how brave you are, how you had the guts to leave the village to get stronger. How you don't take anyone's bullshit, how strong you are, how tough you are on the outside but sweet in the inside. Um, what else, I love your dark looks. I love how you still go on despite all the shit you've been through. I love your arms and your back is so sexy. I love your hairstyle and I love how you don't even give a shit about what others think about you. I love how you had the gall to return to the village you betrayed and how you're still friends with all the people you hurt, meaning you must be someone great." She stopped to gather another breath of air to continue but Sasuke cut her off.

"So what? Naruto's done the same exact things I have and you're not throwing yourself at him." Sasuke stated calmly.

Sayuri smiled, but this time her smile was innocent and genuine, not the smiles she used to try to seduce Sasuke or be friendly with people.

"Yeah, but you're different. I don't know why, but I'm in love with you. And it sucks because you don't even give a shit but I still love you with all my heart. I'll admit, when I met you it was lust at first sight but it grew to become something more. The way you put up with Naruto-kun because he's your best friend though you'll never admit it. How you always get a sad, wistful look in your eyes whenever you walk through this district where you were born. The excitement in your eyes when you're in a real fight. The way you look up at the sky. The way you move, the way you speak, the way you react to things. I love it all." She finished quietly, staring down at the wooden boards of the deck.

Sasuke stared at her, his eyes slightly wide at her heartfelt confession. When she looked up at him with guarded eyes he looked away, debating something within himself.

After a long moment of the two sitting in silence, Sayuri was about to get up and leave. She could feel her face heating up in embarrassment at what she had revealed. Even though she was obnoxious, stubborn, and loud, she didn't normally talk about her deep feelings like this. She clenched her hands on her thigh and was about to push off the deck when Sasuke's voice broke the silence.

"Fine. Lets date then."

* * *

"Hey Sakura, you awake?"

Sakura nearly groaned at Riina's voice.

"Now I am. This is the third time you woke me up. If Xanthus wakes up again I'll throw you out the window." Sakura whispered harshly as she turned her head on her pillow to glare at the younger girl.

They had to share a futon because there were only two in the house and Sakura didn't have the heart to suggest Galen sleep on the couch so she could have a futon to her and Xanthus. So Riina, Xanthus and Sakura had to share one futon, although it was a rather large one, meant for a couple. During the night Riina had been rolling around to get comfortable, not used to the luxury after weeks of sleeping on a hard bumpy ground. She had woken Xanthus up twice already and the second time he had started crying and she had to spend a whole half hour trying to comfort him and coax him back to sleep.

"I'm scared."

Sakura froze at the muffled whisper and her eyes shot open to look at the young girl lying beside her. Her heart clenched when she saw her face pressed into her pillow, no doubt to hide her tears.

She reached over her sleeping son to run her fingers through Riina's soft strands comfortingly.

"I know. I am too." Sakura muttered softly.

"What will happen to them?" Riina's normally strong and haughty voice sounded meek and soft.

Sakura swallowed tightly and closed her eyes painfully, "I don't know Riina. I really don't know. But we have to trust them, trust that they'll survive."

She opened her eyes to see Riina's glossy lavender orbs staring at her. When Sakura caught her eye, she looked down.

"I-I know I'm always mean to Rene, but I still love him. He's the greatest brother and he's sacrificed so much to raise me but I've never really been nice to him. If anything happens to him.." she choked on her words as more tears welled up, turning her head into the pillow again to soak up her sorrows.

Sakura stroked her hair again, "He knows, Riina, he knows that you love him. He may act silly, but he's not dumb. He'll stay alive, Kyston will make sure of that. If you don't trust Rene to look after himself, trust Kyston to do it."

Riina nodded into her pillow but didn't say any more. After a while, her head lolled to the side and Sakura realized she had fallen asleep.

She smiled slightly at the young girl, remembering that she was only seventeen despite how mature and demanding she acted.

Not long after she fell asleep too, dreaming of white swings and silver hair and smoldering amber eyes.

* * *

"Mama? Mama, wake up, I'm hungwy!"

Sakura groaned into her pillow as she felt Xanthus's bony knees digging into her back as he tried to wake her up.

"I'm up Xanthus. Get off." She grumbled into the pillow before pushing up causing Xanthus to overbalance and tumble into the blankets in a fit of giggles.

Riina had her head shoved under her pillow in an attempt to block out Xanthus's shrill voice. Sakura poked her in the side before rolling off the futon and walking to the shoji screen. She slid it open and Xanthus shot out to go wake Galen up, she presumed. She didn't bother acknowledging Riina's annoyed mutters as she trudged to the bathroom to do her business.

When she emerged from the bathroom, fresher and more awake, she met a grumpy Galen and an even grumpier Riina lined up outside the bathroom. Xanthus was bouncing on his toes, holding his crotch so Sakura ushered him into the bathroom with a smirk in Galen and Riina's direction before getting yelled at by Xanthus to close the door. She closed it and went to help her son not fall into the toilet.

After everyone had relieved themselves and were in much better moods they discovered there was no food in the house. Sakura had to scold Riina for cursing in front of Xanthus. Then everyone went back to the rooms to change into decent enough clothes to go out and have breakfast.

They went into town, their stomachs aching and their muscles sore, the only one in good humor was Xanthus who insisted that Galen let him ride on his back because he was so 'hungwy'.

They found a cute little cafe not far from the Uchiha District and were immediately seduced by the delicious smells of fresh bread and pastries wafting out of the open doors.

They sat outside so they could watch Xanthus follow a small fluffy dog around the front of the cafe, trying to lure it over with a bit of his pastry.

Sakura felt orgasmic at the first sip of her strong coffee and the more she drank, the more the tenseness left her body.

They lazed on the patio chairs in front of the cafe until the owner informed them that lunch was about to start and if they weren't buying it would be much appreciated if they gave up their seats. He said it very politely but Riina still grouched about how rude the owner was and that she wasn't going to eat there ever again.

But Sakura didn't have time to scold her because she was too busy trying to get Xanthus to put the fluffy dog down. It was a stray and completely filthy and flea-ridden. He refused and when Galen tried to pry the dog from his arms he started bawling. Sakura gave up and told him he could keep the dog for a little while when she saw the nosy customers of the cafe they had eaten at craning their necks to see why they were being so loud.

He instantly stopped the waterworks and started walking off in the direction he thought led back to the house.

When they got back she gave Galen the unwanted duty of bathing the dog. He scowled at her before snatching the dog by the scruff of the neck and ignored Xanthus's cries of protest and Riina's snickering before stomping off to the kitchen sink.

Sakura did much the same to Xanthus but took him to the bathtub instead to bathe him in case the dog's fleas had gotten on him.

It was much later that they all decided to go back in town to get some much needed essentials if they were staying in that house.

Xanthus skipped ahead of them, the fluffy dog he named Tokatomifu yapping as it ran after him, its legs moving furiously as it tried to keep up.

"Where the hell did he get that name from?" Riina wondered out loud, trying to say it without sounding like a toddler learning to speak.

"I think he just jumbles random sounds together and thinks it's suitable names and whatnot." Sakura explained, grinning at the younger girl as she tried to pronounce it again.

"Ah hell, I'll just call it Tofu." Riina sighed exasperatedly.

"Hey that's actually pretty cute." Sakura nodded her approval as she turned to watch the dog skip after Xanthus who found another stick and was waving it around like a sword again. Tofu jumped after the stick every time he waved it too low earning giggles from Xanthus who started waving it low on purpose so the dog would run after it.

Galen was silent beside them, put out that he had to carry all the bags of things they bought.

"Hey, isn't that, uh, what was his name again, oh um, Naruto?" Riina pointed at a loud blond walking down the street that cut into the street they were walking on.

Sakura glanced over and saw Naruto walking with Hinata, Sasuke, and a girl she didn't know.

"Yeah, it is." Sakura waved at them before shouting, "Oi, Naruto! Hinata!"

Naruto looked up at his name and his face instantly brightened when he saw who it was. "Sakura-chan!" He jogged over to where she was standing and hugged her in greeting before greeting Riina and Galen with an open smile.

Hinata had finally caught up with Sasuke and the other girl a few steps behind.

"Sakura-san, Riina-san, Galen-san, how nice to see you again. How are you feeling?" Hinata inquired politely, her hands folded in front of her.

"A little sore but relieved to finally be able to relax a bit." She smiled at Hinata before turning her attention on the silent Uchiha.

"Oi, Sasuke, why didn't you tell us there were only two futons and absolutely _no food_ in that house?" Sakura grouched, her arms folded in front of her.

Sasuke smirked slightly, "Sorry. It slipped my mind."

Sakura pursed her lips before finally noticing the girl clutching Sasuke's arm. She was incredibly beautiful but incredibly indecent; she was wearing a provocatively tight mini dress and she had her breasts smooshed against Sasuke's arm. But what really irked Sakura was the venomous death glare the girl was giving her.

She raised an elegant eyebrow at the girl's possessive antics as if Sakura had her eyes on the Uchiha.

Naruto noticed Sakura staring at the girl so he piped in quickly, "Hey, this is Saionji Sayuri, Sakura-chan. She's our teammate."

Sakura felt her features freeze at what he said. _Teammate? What the hell..._

She forced a tight smile onto her face, "Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, it's nice to meet-_Xanthus!_" The shriek at the end of her introduction made everyone jump in surprise.

They all watched as she ran after the little boy who was apparently trying to introduce Tofu to a very vicious looking dog who was snarling, baring all its teeth which Xanthus paid no heed to.

"Galen!" Sakura's shrill shriek triggered Galen to drop all their shopping bags and hurry over to where the dog looked like it was about to attack. The dog moved closer and Galen kicked dirt in its face in warning causing it to jerk back. Then the owner of the dog finally realized what was going on and rushed over to get it under control.

When they headed back to the group, they could hear Sakura giving a stern lecture to Xanthus while the little boy clutched Tofu to his chest with tears welling up in his eyes after he finally realized that the other dog was a bully.

"Oh my gawd. How does he _always_ find trouble everywhere he goes? It must be some special talent or something, shit." Riina huffed as she tried to gather all the shopping bags from the ground.

Sayuri finally loosened her hold on Sasuke's arm when she realized the pink-haired woman was a mother and that she couldn't possibly be a threat.

"That was interesting." Naruto stated with a grin on his face before whispering loudly to Hinata, "I don't think I want kids."

Hinata blushed and Sakura punched Naruto on the arm.

Sayuri noticed Sasuke's slight smirk and furrowed her eyebrows. _That couldn't be good. _It took her _months_ to finally get Sasuke to show some emotion around her, even if it was just anger. It took even longer to get him to smirk and show some humor around her. She tightened her hold on Sasuke's arm again, fixing her glare back on the pink-haired woman. _'Who is this woman and why haven't I seen her before?_' Sayuri thought furiously.

"So what are you guys doing tonight?" Naruto asked, still rubbing the spot Sakura had punched.

"Sleeping, most likely." Riina muttered, glaring at Galen so he would take some of the bags from her overloaded arms. Galen pretended to not see by sliding his eyes away from her own as if he were looking at something behind her.

"Aw, well, if you guys get bored everyone's going to be at this new club that opened. You should come if you're not tired or anything." Naruto suggested.

"Club? I've never been to a club before." Riina's eyes lit up as she looked to Sakura.

Sakura took a deep sigh, "Yeah, we'll see how we feel later, but what to do with Xanthus?"

"Couldn't Baachan watch him or something?" Naruto grinned as he folded his arms behind his head.

"I guess so. That sucks that she turns into a babysitter the second day I return." Sakura joked.

"Oh well, she's too old to go to clubs. She needs to stay home and do Baachan things, like babysit." Naruto laughed causing a smile to tug at Sakura's lips. "So, we'll be seeing you tonight then?"

"Yeah maybe. Where is this club?" Sakura asked, tugging Xanthus back from trying to sneak off.

"Not too far from that bar we used to go to. You remember? Yeah it's about three buildings down, you can't miss it."

After a few more minutes of chatting (only Naruto and Sakura said anything really) they said their 'goodbyes' and Sakura and Riina dragged Galen along to find outfits for the club. Xanthus started complaining around the fourth girly shop they entered so they decided to go home with what they had already bought after buying takeout for dinner.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay to leave Xanthus with that woman? She looked pretty drunk." Riina asked worriedly.

They had left Tsunade's house a few minutes ago and were making their way to the club Naruto had told them about. When they got there, Tsunade was already well on her way to getting smashed but Shizune was there so Sakura deemed it safe to leave Xanthus (and Tofu) with them.

"He'll be fine. Shizune-san was there and sober. She's really responsible so don't worry." Sakura assured her.

Riina gave her one more worried look but ended up tripping on her heels and having to grab onto Galen's arm to steady herself.

She had bought a skimpy little black dress that mixed sexily with her flaming red hair. It had thin straps and was low cut enough to show off her decent sized chest. It fell to just above mid-thigh, black lace along the hem. She wore her hair messily atop her head, with long strands falling to frame her face.

Sakura went with a cute little shimmery pink dress. It was armless and short, but not as short as Riina's. Where Riina's flared out a little, her's hugged her curves nicely. Her hair was done in an intricate design Trina had showed her how to create a long time ago.

Galen had opted for all black and he wore his hair in its usual style; a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. Riina told him how boring he was but he didn't seem to care.

They finally found the club by the large crowd of people standing around outside. All the women were scantily clad and the men were wearing flashy clothes. They didn't seem to be waiting in a line, just hanging around outside so the trio pushed their way through the crowd until they were inside.

It was only ten o'clock but the club was jammed full. Sakura was taken aback by the dense crowd and looked around nervously. She noticed some familiar faces but no one she knew extremely well.

"Hey, how the hell are we gonna find your friends in _this_?" Riina shouted over the booming music and the incomprehensible chattering of hundreds of people.

"Just start looking!" Sakura shouted back before she took a deep breath and then began to push her way through the crowd. A glance back told her that Riina and Galen were following.

"Oiii! Sakura-chaann! Up here! Look! Look up!"

Sakura heard Naruto's familiar shouting and did as he commanded. She saw him on the second floor, waving his arms frantically, a big grin on his face. Sakura waved back before motioning for Riina to look up too. Riina gave Sakura a droll stare before pushing past people to get to the stairs. Galen motioned for Sakura to go ahead of him before following after her.

Sakura was greeted by a tight hug from Naruto and excited exclamations from all the women (and Lee). Sakura took a seat next to Ino after hugging each of her old friends.

Riina and Galen introduced themselves then Galen took his place behind Sakura, leaning against the railing overlooking the blob of people dancing below. Riina scooted in next to Sakura, a drink Sakura didn't notice her getting, already in her hands.

"Don't drink too much Riina. You're only seventeen and you've never drunk before." Sakura warned.

Riina waved her off, "Oh whatever." And she took a big gulp of whatever the bright drink was. Sakura glared before turning to Ino.

She ended up chatting endlessly with everyone, despite her awkwardness at first. Although she considered them friends, she didn't know them very well except for Ino, Hinata and of course Naruto and maybe Lee. But she found herself having fun when they each chatted happily with her, the alcohol loosening them up.

An hour passed by before Sasuke finally showed up. With Sayuri.

Sayuri wearing the skimpiest red dress that rivaled the sluttiness of Riina's.

Sakura automatically blanched at how her breasts were practically falling out of the fine material of her red dress and Sayuri looked surprised for a moment when she caught the look before turning her surprise into another death glare.

Sayuri heard Ino address her and she turned her glare from the pink-haired woman to grin at the blond one beside her.

"You look flushed Sayuri. Too much dancing?" Ino smirked.

Sayuri rolled her eyes before plopping down next to Sasuke who had taken a seat next to Naruto across from Ino.

"Yeah right. Sasuke didn't move an inch while we were down there. I just danced around him like he was a bonfire or something." Sayuri joked, leaning against Sasuke while Ino and a few others laughed at what she said. She slid her pink eyes over to Sakura in satisfaction but noticed that the girl was mumbling something to the redhead next to her.

She was trying to figure out if she was saying anything about her but then the redhead's face scrunched up in annoyance and she slurred something incomprehensible to the pink-haired woman. Then without a word, the green-haired man leaning on the railing behind them whom Sayuri hadn't even noticed, bent over the redhead and plucked her drink out of her hands.

The redhead shot up out of her seat causing the table to go silent as they stared at her as she turned on Galen angrily. But she overbalanced in her drunkenness and fell against the table behind her, knocking over drinks in her tumble.

Sayuri screamed when cold beer seeped over the edge of the table and fell on her lap, splashing against her new dress. Sasuke had enough sense to shove Naruto over so he would have more room to move out of the way. Sayuri looked at the redhead furiously as she stood up and then glared at Sasuke who was smirking.

"What the fuck is this? Why the hell are they letting friggin' _kids_ into this place?" Sayuri shrieked.

"Sayuri calm down, it was an accident." Ino tried to placate the raging girl but was ignored as she ranted about her new dress and dumb kids who think they were women just because they grew some boobs.

Ino slid past Sakura, motioning for Tenten to follow as she turned Sayuri away and attempted to take her to the ladies room, no doubt.

When they were gone Naruto turned to Sakura. "Sorry about how she reacted."

"You don't have to apologize, Naruto. You didn't do anything wrong." Sakura replied with a tight smile. Then she turned to glare at Riina but before she could say anything Galen stepped up and took her by the arm.

"Hey, Galen let go." Riina protested, yanking her arm around wildly, trying to get free.

"You're drunk and we're leaving." Galen stated calmly.

"_No!_" Riina finally managed to yank her arm free but the force caused her fall down right into Sasuke's lap.

Everyone froze, and Galen's eyes widened.

Sasuke was the first to recover, "Hey, get off."

"I don't want to go, Galen." Riina slurred, ignoring Sasuke despite being nestled in his lap in a very awkward manner for those who weren't drunk.

"Riina, stop playing around." Sakura commanded sternly.

Riina stuck her tongue out at her before leaning into Sasuke and looking up at Galen through her lashes.

Galen clenched his jaw before turning his back and disappearing into the crowd.

Riina pouted as she looked after him. She let out a long sigh and was ready to push off of Sasuke but was shocked into falling back down at Sayuri's loud shriek.

"_What the_ _fuck is this_?! Get off of him you slut!" She yanked at Riina's arm roughly, causing the girl to stumble forward then was pushed towards the railing.

Sakura caught Riina before she hit the railing and turned a cold glare on Sayuri.

"Slut? You're one to talk." Sakura stated calmly.

"Sakura, she didn't mean it." Ino tried to interrupt but Sakura ignored her.

"If you ever lay a hand on Riina again I'll punch your lights out, got it?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Sayuri spit out, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"Someone much more stronger than you. And a lot more pissed. Now get out of my way." Sakura replied coldly before hauling Riina in front of her.

Naruto came after her to apologize and to suggest they go somewhere else but Sakura declined, saying they had enough 'fun' for one night. She hugged him before waving goodbye to Hinata and the rest of the table then pushed Riina ahead of her to find Galen.

He was at the bar, nursing a beer between his palms as he stared down at the bar hard.

Sakura nudged him on the shoulder and without even glancing up he slid off the stool he was perched on and led the way out of the club.

When they were outside, Riina pushed away from Sakura to go puke into some bushes. Galen waited patiently while Sakura rubbed Riina's back and held strands of her hair away from her face.

Sakura decided to leave Xanthus by Tsunade like they had originally planned so they headed home.

It was near one o'clock in the morning when Sakura finally rolled into bed. Riina was already passed out on her side. She was asleep the moment her head hit her pillow.

The next morning Sakura woke up to an empty bed. She went to her window to check the position of the sun and realized with shock it was around two o'clock in the evening. She hurried to the bathroom to do her business before heading for the kitchen to see where everyone was.

She heard Xanthus's voice before she saw him sitting at the table with a sandwich in his hands. Riina was sitting across from him with a sandwich of her own. They both looked up when she entered the room.

"Mama! You slept too much! I tried to wake you but Riina wouldn't let me!" Xanthus complained, tossing a childish glare in the older girl's direction.

"I know. Mama was very tired." Sakura explained as she pulled the chair out next to her son to sit on. "Did you have fun with Tsunade-baachan and Shizune-obaasan?"

"Yeah!" And he went into a very detailed narration of what he did with Tsunade and Shizune all night.

Riina caught her eye and smirked, "When I went to pick him up Tsunade practically shoved him at me, her eyes were bloodshot and she looked pretty haggard. I don't think she'll be babysitting again."

Sakura grinned before running her fingers through Xanthus's hair while he continued to talk. "Poor sensei. Oh, how were you this morning? Did you have a killer hangover?" Sakura asked with a smirk of her own.

Riina huffed, "It wasn't that bad. I was fine after a little while." Then her voice went soft, "Galen isn't speaking to me."

Sakura furrowed her brows, "Where is he?"

"Outside training." Riina looked down at her hands, "I can kind of remember how I acted last night. He must be pissed I made him look like a fool in front of all those people. I don't know what he's worried about though, I embarrassed myself enough for all three of us."

"It was your first time drinking. And who cares?" Sakura brushed it aside with a wave of her hand. "Besides, I don't think Galen was thinking much about what those people he didn't even know thought of him, it was more of what the people he _did_ know thought of him."

Riina looked up at her, her brows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Sakura gave her a pointed look, "I think you hurt Galen more with how you blatantly chose to sit on that jerk's lap rather than go with him. You were probably too drunk but he looked kind of hurt."

Riina stared at her for a long time, the only noise was Xanthus's continuation of his story of last night. Then she scoffed and turned away, "Yeah right. I bet I just hurt his pride."

"Think what you want to think, it doesn't change the facts, Riina."

"_What_ facts? You're implying Galen _likes_ me more than he's supposed to." Riina said angrily.

"More than he's _supposed_ to? Who determines that?" Sakura questioned calmly, meeting her friend's angry lavender eyes.

"He's _twenty-nine_! He's not supposed to like me more than his friend's annoying little sister or something."

Sakura smiled softly at the younger girl, "People don't choose who they fall in love with."

"Oh my god! Now you're saying he's _in love with me_?" Riina exclaimed as she slumped back in her chair.

"Who's in love with you?"

Both women jumped at the sound of Galen's voice. They looked up to see him standing in the archway of the open shoji screen that led to the deck and yard.

Shirtless.

The color on Riina's face drained at the possibility that he heard more than he was supposed to but the color returned tenfold when she saw his bare chest, glistening with sweat from his hard workout.

"Ah, none of your business, Galen. Didn't know you were so nosy." Sakura joked convincingly, waving her hand in the air as if to ward him off.

Galen raised one elegant eyebrow before sliding his green gaze to the young redhead who blushed furiously, clashing horribly with her hair. He smirked slightly before heading to the sink to get a glass of water.

Riina shot a desperate look towards Sakura who shook her head at her so she would act normal.

"How was training?" Sakura piped up when Riina glared viciously at her.

"Nothing special. Why?" Galen gave her a strange look as he came around the table with a glass of water in his hand.

"Oh, uh no reason. Just wondering." Sakura ran a hand through her hair while Galen pulled a chair out from the table and sat down.

He watched as Xanthus snuck a piece of bread to Tofu, apparently oblivious to Riina's roving eyes and Sakura's amused grin.

"So what are you two planning to do today?" Galen looked up to take a sip of his water.

Riina jumped and shot her head in the opposite direction, making it obvious that she had been staring at his chest. He glanced at her slightly before turning to Sakura who turned her sly grin into a sweet smile.

"Um, I'm going to see Tsunade-sensei to find out when the meeting will be. I don't know what Riina's doing." Sakura emphasized the last part causing Riina to glare at her.

"Will you be leaving Xanthus with us?" Galen asked, glancing at Riina again before looking at Sakura.

"Yeah, I missed him last night. I think I'll take him to the playground or something after." Sakura smiled down at Xanthus who looked up at her excitedly, dropping his half-eaten sandwich on the floor which Tofu scarfed down in seconds.

Galen nodded before gulping down the last of his water and scooting back to go wash his glass in the sink.

Riina mouthed a jumble of incomprehensible words at Sakura who looked at her innocently.

"So I'll see you later then." Galen bowed his head slightly before leaving the kitchen and heading for the bathroom.

As soon as he was gone Sakura was bombarded with furious insults from Riina and excited blabbering from Xanthus.

"What the _hell_ are you thinking? I can't be alone with him now! He hates me! He thinks I'm a slut! I am a slut! I hate you! How could you! Oh my god! He's going to ignore me all day and then I'll feel like crap! How could you? I'm-"

"_Calm down_, he doesn't hate you, Riina." Sakura cut Riina off impatiently, "This is perfect for you guys. You can apologize and then seduce him and then live happily ever after. But wait till you're a little older to sleep with him, okay?"

"_What the hell are you talking about?!_" Riina screeched, her face flaming red again.

Sakura rolled her eyes impatiently before scooting back on her chair and standing. She watched Xanthus scamper outside with Tofu on his heels before turning a droll stare on the younger girl.

"You need to talk to him, Riina. Things are too unpredictable for you to keep pretending you're not in love with him. I know you both have been experts in keeping it hidden but something happened last night and both of you are teetering on the edge and you need to deal with it. Don't keep ignoring it because if anything happens you'll regret it for the rest of your life. He's stood by and watched you flirt senselessly with numerous jerks and I'm amazed at his control but you can't hide if from me that you've been doing all that to get a reaction from him. I know you too well." Sakura ended with a smirk.

Riina sat there staring up at Sakura, her eyes wide and a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Then she looked down, her eyes shadowed, "I'm too young for him, I don't think he even sees me as a woman. You've got it all wrong." She said quietly.

Sakura heaved an exasperated sigh. She felt like shaking the girl in the hopes of rattling her brains around so she would find some sense in her. "Stop making up excuses. So what if he's _twelve_ freaking years older than you? Look at him! He's friggin' hot and you, my young friend, do _not_ look like a little girl. You have bigger boobs than _I _do! He couldn't possibly mistake you for a child!" Sakura scoffed earning a giggle from Riina.

"So promise me that you'll talk to him today." Sakura demanded.

"Alright, I promise." Riina sighed, slumping in her chair but she couldn't stop the blush from coloring her cheeks.

"Okay. See you later then. I'm leaving now. You have the house to yourself, but remember," Sakura's tone took on a motherly one, "no sex until you're married."

Riina gawked before scoffing, "Yeah, you're one to talk. You and Azryal were doing it all over the place before he asked you to marry him."

It was Sakura's turn to blush profusely. She told Riina to 'shut up' before she stomped outside and caught Xanthus trying to catch a koi fish in the pond again. She spanked him lightly on the bottom before taking his hand and walking up the path that led to town, Tofu yapping at their heels, trying hard to keep up.

Riina was still sitting at the kitchen table when Galen emerged from the bathroom. He leaned against the doorframe behind her while he watched her stare outside, her half-eaten sandwich forgotten on her plate.

His damp hair was hanging loose around his shoulders and he had a black armless shirt on with black sweats hanging dangerously low on his hips.

"Sakura left already?" Galen felt a smirk tug at his lips when he saw her jump at his voice.

When she turned to look at him his smirk was gone as he stared at her.

She blushed at the sight of him, mumbling a jumbled reply while looking down at the floorboards, avoiding his eyes.

"Why are you so nervous around me? We've been alone together before." He cut off her incomprehensible rambling causing her to flick her eyes up to meet his.

He watched as she visibly swallowed before pushing off the wall and walking past her to sit on one of the couches that came with the house in the living room.

"Aren't you mad at me?"

His eyes widened at her soft question and he turned his head to look at her. She was watching him with guarded eyes, still on her kitchen table chair.

He looked away before answering, "Why would I be angry?"

"Because of what happened last night."

"You're old enough to know what you're doing. It was wrong of me to act like your brother. I'm not angry."

"I don't think of you as a brother."

He fought down the urge look at her sharply, instead he just rested his head back on the couch, his eyes sliding closed. "Good."

She was silent for a while then he heard soft footsteps padding closer. He opened his eyes and was shocked to see her standing in front of him.

He fought the urge to stare at her legs which were exposed by her very short shorts or her curves that were visible by the snug fitting shirt she was wearing. Instead he looked up to meet her eyes with his lazy green ones, his arms stretched out across the back of the couch.

"Galen, I'm-"

"Don't." He cut her off, dropping his head to stare at his lap.

"Why not?" She asked, a bit of anger seeping through.

He turned his head away, staring at the kitchen chair she had vacated, "Because it won't work."

"Why?" She almost sounded childish.

He refused to answer so she slid her legs on both sides of his lap and straddled him. He almost jumped out of his skin. He turned wide green eyes on her, his shock showing through.

"What are you doing?" He asked calmly, completely contradicting the shock he had showed a few seconds ago.

"Getting your attention." She answered boldly.

Anger flitted across his eyes before he replied darkly, "I'm not one of those morons you like to throw yourself at so get off."

"No." She stubbornly refused.

"Get off or I'll throw you off."

She glared at him, daring him to do it. He glared back. They sat there glaring at each other for another minute before Galen tensed like he was about to buck her off so she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight.

Galen felt his face heat up as he blushed, her face inches from his.

"Why are you doing this? It will just complicate things. Do you really want me added to your list of guys who you-"

"I'm in love with you." Riina confessed firmly, cutting him off.

It took him a few seconds to register what she said before his eyes widened and he looked away again.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. Don't tell me what I'm feeling and what I'm not. I know I'm in love with you because I've never felt this way about _anyone_ before. Please don't belittle it by thinking I'm a foolish child."

"I don't see you as a child, Riina. That's why I feel very uncomfortable with you sitting on me like this." He said calmly like he was trying to control himself.

Riina blushed when she was reminded of their compromising position but she refused to move. She noticed his clenched fists on the back of the couch and inwardly rejoiced that she was having an effect on him.

"Aren't you supposed to answer me?"

"What are you talking about?" He ground out between clenched teeth. _Damn, she smelled good._

"When someone confesses to you, you're supposed to reply." She explained softly, gazing into his wide green orbs with her burning lavender ones.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No. Every time I tried to get your attention by flirting shamelessly with other men, you would just leave." She pouted cutely.

"Once again, isn't it obvious?"

This time she glared, "_No._ It would have been obvious if you had pummeled every guy that even looked at me wrong!"

"That's something Rene would do."

"Well, it's something I had hoped you would do." She said softly.

He stared at her shy expression for a few seconds before leaning his forehead forward to rest against hers.

Riina's heart skipped a beat, thinking he was about to kiss her but then her pulse sped up when she saw the softness in his eyes, so close to her own.

"I'm in love with you." He muttered before closing the small distance between them and pressing his lips against her slightly slack ones.

Riina's eyes widened and she felt like her heart was about to pop out of her chest. But then he pulled back, keeping the kiss short and sweet.

Her face was burning and her stomach fluttered when she saw a slight flush to his cheeks as well.

She smiled at him before running her hands through his damp hair to pull his head down for another kiss.

* * *

"He wouldn't go to sleep! I don't know _what _you fed him but he wouldn't sit still and that disgusting dog kept pissing all over the place! I'll never do it again, you hear me?! Don't ask me to babysit that kid again!"

Sakura grinned broadly at Tsunade while she ranted about the horrors Xanthus and Tofu put her through after Shizune had left last night.

"Alright, alright. I don't think I'll be going out any more anyway. Last night was a disaster."

Tsunade stopped her ranting to look at Sakura curiously, "Why, what happened?"

"Ugh, you don't wanna know. All I'll say is that Sasuke's girlfriend is a total bitch." Sakura sighed. She had left Xanthus and Tofu with Shizune at her desk while she came up to talk to Tsunade. Hopefully he wasn't causing any trouble.

"Sasuke has a girlfriend?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

"Apparently, yeah. Her name's Sayuri." Sakura said, saying her name with a disgusted look.

"That's surprising. I always thought Sasuke didn't like her."

"Really? Well, he seems to like her a lot now." Sakura said sarcastically.

"Well, I know she is rather obnoxious and loud, but you just met her. She's usually nice to new people she meets."

"Yeah well she didn't like me from the moment she first saw me, and I have no clue why. And why did Naruto introduce her as his teammate?" Sakura asked, voicing the question that had been bothering her since she met the girl.

"Because after you left Naruto and Sasuke still needed to take the Chuunin exam and they needed a third Genin on their team so I introduced Sayuri to them and they basically adopted her into Kakashi's team." Tsunade explained nonchalantly.

Sakura's features froze, "So she's my replacement." She clarified.

Tsunade sighed, "I wouldn't call her that, Sakura. She's just a new member to the team. You're still a part of Team Seven if you want to be, I'm sure."

"Whatever, I didn't come here to talk about that girl. When is the meeting?" Sakura successfully changed the subject, feeling uncomfortable with the jealousy that was welling up.

Tsunade studied her face for a few seconds before leaning back in her chair, "Tomorrow. At eight o'clock sharp. I was going to send a message to you later. Make sure you're here on time."

"Don't worry, we will be." Sakura confirmed, pointedly reminding Tsunade that Galen would be coming as well.

They talked a little bit more about random things before they were interrupted by a young Chuunin that informed Sakura that Shizune-san needed her as soon as possible. Sakura left to find Xanthus causing havoc as usual so she took him off the poor woman's hands and took him to the playground she promised to take him to.

It was the local playground that all the kids in the village played at and Xanthus was soon running around with a pack of children, Tofu yapping happily around them.

"Didn't think to see you here."

Sakura looked up from her seat on a nearby bench to see Kakashi's masked face looking down at her, his one visible eye crinkled in a smile.

"Ah, Kaka-sensei! Good to see you! What are you doing near the playground? I hope you're not reading porn, people would think you're a pedophile or something." Sakura smirked before getting up and pulling him in a hug

Kakashi gave her a droll stare after returning the hug. "Nice to see you too." He replied half-heartedly before plopping down on the bench where Sakura resumed her seat.

Sakura grinned at him before nudging him with her elbow playfully. "You know I was kidding. So what are you really doing here?"

Kakashi threw an arm over the back of the bench while he pulled out the latest _Icha Icha_ book with a flourish. Sakura gawked at him, not believing that he actually did read porn in playgrounds with little kids running around.

"I was just passing by when I saw a shock of pink and recognized my old student. Had to come say 'Hi' like the good guy I am." Kakashi muttered, getting into his book. "And what are you doing here all by yourself? Reminiscing or what?"

Sakura huffed before crossing her legs and turning her head to watch the kids all dive into the sandbox, Xanthus in the lead. "I'm _not_ here by myself." She stated.

Kakashi cocked his head at her before following her line of sight and seeing the pack of kids. He raised an eyebrow in confusion before looking at her again, "What, are you babysitting or something?"

Sakura smiled brightly at him, "I'm with my son."

Kakashi almost dropped his book in his shock, "Your _son_?" At her proud nod Kakashi felt his lips twitch into a smile, "Which one?"

She smiled at him again before looking at the blob of kids trying to fit into the sandbox, "That one, with the dog."

Kakashi followed her pointing finger to see a small boy with platinum blond hair with a small white fluffy dog.

"You mean the one whacking that kid with a stick?"

Sakura gasped when she saw what was happening and shot to her feet. "_Xanthus_!!" Her shriek caused Kakashi to drop his book this time before he watched her stomp off to pull her son away from the poor kid who was bawling by now.

He watched as the other child's mother ran over and started jabbing her finger at Sakura's chest who looked sorry but when the woman jabbed her finger at 'Xanthus' Sakura's eyes darkened and she said something very calmly to the woman who stepped back in shock and then dragged her son away in fear.

Sakura glared after the woman before taking her son's hand and strolling back to the bench Kakashi was sitting on.

Kakashi was smirking in amusement by the time she returned and received a no-nonsense glare from the young mother. Kakashi put his palms up like he wasn't even thinking about teasing her.

"Who's that" Xanthus asked, staring big-eyed up at Kakashi.

"This is Kakashi-ojisaan. Say hi." Sakura ordered.

"Hi. Why are you wearing a mask?" Xanthus pointed at Kakashi's face like if he needed to know where it was.

"Because I'm a ninja." Kakashi answered simply.

"Oh." Then Xanthus looked down and before Sakura could stop him, he picked up the _Icha Icha_ book that Kakashi still hadn't picked up and stared at the page it opened on. "Ew! Why are they naked, Mama? What are they doing?" Xanthus shouted in disgust, showing Sakura the picture.

Sakura gasped before snatching the book from Xanthus's hands and glaring at Kakashi who watched it all with undisguised amusement.

"What are they doing?" Xanthus insisted.

"Wrestling." Kakashi offered, humor lacing his tone.

Sakura's glare intensified.

"Why are they naked then?"

Sakura was about to answer but Kakashi beat her to it.

"Because that's what grown-ups do when they're naked." Kakashi had to stifle the laugh that bubbled up at Sakura's horrified look.

"Ew. Grown-ups are strange." Was Xanthus's only reply before running to pick up a stick for Tofu.

"What the hell are you teaching my two-year old child?!" Sakura nearly screeched.

"That grown-ups are strange." Kakashi grinned.

"You're despicable." Sakura muttered before plopping down next to him.

A few minutes passed by in silence before Kakashi broke it.

"So who's the father?"

"You don't know him."

"Well obviously, seeing as how you've been in some unknown foreign land for the past three years."

"Then there's no point in me telling you since you won't know who he is."

"Is he legitimate?"

Sakura gave Kakashi a dry 'duh' look that caused Kakashi's grin to return.

They sat together until the playground started to empty and the sky turned pink talking about nonsensical things. Then Sakura said she had to get up early the next morning and she still had to buy dinner. So they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

She returned home to an empty house. So she went to bathe Xanthus and give him his dinner. While he was eating Sakura went to peek into the bedrooms and was nearly floored at what she saw.

She had slid Galen's shoji door open as quietly as possible, expecting to see an empty room. But instead she was greeted with a bare-chested Galen sleeping in his futon and a head of red hair tucked under his arm, Riina's slim bare back visible from Sakura's position by the door.

She numbly slid the door closed before walking back to the kitchen slowly.

"I _told_ her to wait until she was married." Sakura muttered before she joined Xanthus by the kitchen table to see almost all his food on the floor so Tofu could have some.

* * *

When Sakura came out from her shower after putting Xanthus to sleep, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. She quietly peeked around the corner and saw Riina and Galen having a late dinner, the takeout boxes Sakura had bought earlier spread around the table.

Riina was wearing a large shirt that most likely belonged to Galen and Galen was just wearing a pair of sweats. They were talking quietly and didn't notice Sakura emerge from the corner.

"What are you two doing?" Sakura asked, folding her arms in front of her expectantly.

Riina jumped at her voice before giving her a dry look, "Eating. What does it look like?"

"I don't know, it looked like you guys had sex." Sakura stated bluntly.

Riina gasped and her face turned red, while Galen choked on his mouthful of food.

"Sakura! What the hell!"

Sakura smirked at their expressions before plopping down on an empty chair. She looked at Galen who had schooled his features into a blank expression. Then at Riina's red face, as she furiously stuffed her mouth with food so as to avoid looking at Sakura.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Although I _did_ tell Riina to wait until you guys were married before doing the deed, but what did I expect?" Sakura sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

Galen flicked his eyes to Sakura and then to Riina's blushing face as she glared at the older woman. He couldn't fight the smile that tugged at his lips.

"You two talk about me?" Galen asked, amusement evident in his tone.

Riina began shaking her head frantically but Sakura spoke up, "Yeah, while you were training today. You walked in on us, remember?"

Galen nodded and his smile turned into a smirk at Riina.

"So I guess we won't be needing that extra futon then." Sakura sighed. "I wasted my money for nothing." she muttered before pushing back from the table. "Anyway, I'll leave you two alone. We have to wake up early tomorrow, Galen, the meeting is at eight so don't stay up _all_ night." She winked suggestively at Galen, causing Riina to splutter, before turning on her heel and heading to bed.

After she was gone, Riina slumped in her seat, a hand covering her flaming face, "Could that have been _any_ more embarrassing?"

Galen shrugged before replying coolly, "Who knows, she could have started a lecture on how to prevent pregnancies and to not be too loud."

He grinned at her shocked expression before turning back to his food.

* * *

The next morning Sakura rolled out of bed at six-thirty to hop in the shower. When she came out refreshed and awake, Galen was quietly coming out of his room. Sakura gave him a sly smirk which he answered with a flat stare before she flounced back into her bedroom.

They left together around seven-twenty, leaving Xanthus and Riina sleeping. They ate breakfast while they walked, the sun's orange light clawing away the darkness. When they reached the Hokage Tower, the place was bustling with activity.

Sakura managed to get one young woman to stop so she could tell her where the meeting was going to take place. Instead of answering, the girl showed her the way. They followed her into an elevator that went down about two floors. The woman said to go straight and they would find a huge set of doors. They thanked her and she bowed before the elevator doors closed shut.

When they entered the room, Sakura was shocked to see so many people in attendance. All the elders were there and a _lot_ of special Jounin. A few people near the doors glanced at her curiously when they entered but no one approached them. Sakura spotted a few familiar faces like Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko and a few others but she didn't know them on a personal level so she steered clear.

Then she heard a familiar voice and turned to it to see Naruto chatting loudly with Kakashi and Shikamaru, Sasuke leaning against the wall they were standing by. Neji and Hinata's father were close by along with a few other shinobi from the Hyuuga clan.

"Why don't you go to them?" Galen asked softly next to her.

Sakura glanced at him but before she could reply she heard Tsunade's clear, strong voice and turned to it in relief. She was standing at the opposite end of the room from the doorway near a large circular table. Jiraiya and Shizune were behind her along with a few other people she didn't know.

"Is Sakura here yet?"

Sakura heard her ask someone so she calmly walked up to the table, hearing Naruto gasp her name in the background.

"Good morning, sensei." Sakura greeted politely, aware of the hawk like gazes coming from the elders assembled near by.

"Sakura! Good morning. It's good you got here so early. Everyone's here so we're going to start the conference now." Tsunade's authoritative voice sounded loud as the room quieted down when they noticed the Hokage was present.

Sakura nodded, trying her hardest to hide her nerves. She was used to being the center of attention since she _was_ an Empress, but being back in Konoha and having all these highly respected people looking at her at the same time made her nervous and shaky. Galen's presence at her side was a strong comfort to her, and surprisingly not Naruto's or Kakashi's.

"Alright, Sakura. We need you to relay what you learned while in Saarik to all of us one more time so we can deliberate and form a plan of action." Tsunade stared down at Sakura, giving her a small smile of encouragement.

Sakura took a deep breath, steeling herself against the heavy pressure of a room-full of eyes focused on her, and turned to address the room and recount all what had happened in Saarik.

* * *

**Oh my god. Naughty Riina and Galen! Anyway, don't flame me if you think Galen's a pedophile for sleeping with a seventeen year old. Remember they live in a world with a very different mind set and don't act like people don't do it in real life! lol! **

**Anyway, hope you really enjoyed it. This chapter kept me up at night because I couldn't stop writing it. It was too much fun. My fingers are cramping up, holy crap.**

**Remember to REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW~!!!**

**~yuru  
**


	12. Pursuit Lets Wisdom Ride the Wind

**Sorry for the long wait. **

**DISCLAIMER: Nothing related to Naruto belongs to me. Everything else does.**

**Enjoy.

* * *

  
**

**Chapter Twelve  
**_Pursuit Lets Wisdom Ride The Wind  
_

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The meeting didn't take too long since they didn't have much to go on. Sakura had to retell everything from the events leading up to the night she left Saarik and everything up until she returned to Konoha. She didn't add anything personal or anything related to her last mission. Once she had finished, Tsunade had taken over immediately and Sakura fell into the background with Galen's comforting presence next to her.

Naruto had kept glancing at her, sometimes staring at her so she would feel his gaze on her and look up but she had pretended to be concentrating too hard on what Tsunade was saying. After a while he finally gave up and stopped glancing at her.

She didn't know why she had ignored him; it wasn't his fault Sasuke's girlfriend was a complete nightmare. Maybe it was because she was feeling a bit homesick after talking about Saarik, despite leaving out all the personal bits. It still made her remember her life that seemed like a dream now.

She knew Naruto didn't deserve to be ignored by her but she just didn't feel too keen about forcing a cheerful smile his way while she discussed the downfall and possible massacre of her home in Saarik.

After Tsunade had introduced the possibility that the Akatsuki might be involved all hell broke loose as everyone tried to get their own speculations heard. Tsunade had to call for silence and resorted to a juvenile technique of basically raising your hand if you wanted to say something.

After a couple of hours the meeting finally came to an end. Tsunade had stated that she would be assigning squads to go out and scout out the areas where the Akatsuki were rumored to be seen and to find out as much information as possible. Quite a few people had demanded that she send them to Saarik undercover but Tsunade refused, feeling the tense aura coming off of Sakura and Galen in waves behind her.

They didn't know what they were facing; they hadn't ever seen magick being used before and they would be killed in an instant. Sakura had told Tsunade that she believed that magick might be stronger than chakra, especially if it were being used by someone like the Emperor or the Saadhia. And if Azryal was having a hard time with this Kinto guy and Radek who was his boss, then they were in deep trouble.

She didn't think sending a squad of ignorant shinobi into Saarik was the smartest thing to do.

So, after Tsunade had finished up with the meeting by informing them that she would have the squad members ready in a couple of days they were dismissed.

Sakura had hung back like she wanted a word with Tsunade and Naruto got the hint and left with a worried look in her direction. Sasuke hadn't even acknowledged her presence even while she had spoken in the beginning of the meeting and he trailed after Naruto without a backward glance.

When Sakura deemed the coast was clear she left, a slight nod in Kakashi's direction as she passed, before exiting the Hokage Tower.

"What was that all about?"

Sakura was jolted from her deep thoughts at Galen's amused question. She looked at him innocently, "What do you mean?"

"Why were you ignoring your friends?" Galen asked, one thin green eyebrow raised delicately.

Sakura heaved a sigh dramatically, causing Galen's lips to quirk in a slight smirk.

She didn't want to confide in Galen about how she felt about her home being ripped apart while she tried to play nice with her old teammates. So instead she voiced another problem that had been niggling at the back of her mind.

"I wasn't in the mood." Sakura droned tiredly.

"In the mood for what? Acknowledging your friends?"

Sakura shot him a stern look at the humor in his tone before walking a little ways ahead. "No," She snapped, "I just...I guess I felt a little.." She trailed off, slowing her pace.

"A little...what?" Galen prodded.

Sakura stopped walking completely, turning to give Galen a helpless look, "I feel silly saying this, like a child really..." At Galen's impatient look she took a deep breath and spit it out, "I felt a little envious okay?"

Galen was silent for a moment, watching as an embarrassed flush crept across her cheeks. She was avoiding his gaze, afraid he might laugh at her.

"You mean jealous?" Galen stated bluntly.

Sakura's embarrassed flush disappeared as she glared up at him. "What's the difference?"

Galen shrugged before walking again and she fell into step beside him after a moment's hesitation.

"Jealous of what exactly?" He asked after a few minutes of silence and Sakura's hopes of a change of topic shattered.

"That I was replaced."

Galen almost didn't hear her quiet confession and he glanced at her worriedly.

"You mean by that girl? What was her name again? The one that pushed Riina?"

"Yeah. I don't remember what her name was but yeah, her. Naruto introduced her as their 'teammate'." Sakura watched her feet as she walked, watching as the ground whooshed past as she moved.

"Sakura, are you saying you were worried about something as trivial as that during a meeting that was discussing the growing threat of the alliance of two of the strongest enemies in history?" Galen asked dryly.

He watched as she stopped dead in her tracks and Galen was afraid he had been too harsh. He knew she didn't take too well to pity so he had gone for the tough love sort of comfort that he was better at. He tensed, waiting for her to lash out at him angrily like she tended to do with Rene or Kyston.

But instead she looked up at him in amusement before a giggle passed her lips.

He stared at her for a split second before his lips quirked up in a grin and then she punched him on the arm, her chakra giving it a little boost.

He staggered back, his expression one of shock and confusion. He had a hand pressed to where she punched him while watching as she placed her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"Galen! I was _trying_ to confide in you! You didn't have to be a jerk!"

"It was a reasonable question. Why did you go to the club if you felt like that?" Galen asked, hesitating before walking a little closer to her.

"I don't know. I thought it was silly to refuse to meet them because they found a new member. When they first returned to Konoha all those years ago I was so pissed that they left me behind. I yelled at them and tried to make them feel guilty and I refused to acknowledge them as my teammates. And then I left _them_ behind. I'm such a hypocrite." Sakura sighed, turning away from him.

"Sakura, you were looking out for yourself. I don't think you're a hypocrite and if they could so easily replace you with someone like that girl, then they don't deserve the worry and stress you're experiencing at their expense."

At his words, Sakura turned to smile at him gratefully before she tensed. She flicked her eyes to the street that intercepted the one they were standing on and sure enough, Naruto and Sasuke turned the corner.

They didn't look surprised and Sakura realized with a heavy feeling that they had been waiting for her. Or at least Naruto had been and had forced Sasuke to wait with him by the look on the Uchiha's face.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto gave her a weak smile as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Hey, what are you doing here, Naruto?" Sakura asked as she schooled her features into a cheerful expression.

Naruto's smile didn't widen like it usually did, instead his face look strained.

Sakura deflated before them, "You heard what we were talking about, didn't you?"

Naruto's expression turned sheepish as he looked at the ground, "Uh, yeah, sorry about that. We were just waiting to talk to you because you seemed upset during the meeting. You wouldn't look at me and I thought it had something to do with how Sayuri-chan acted the other night."

_Ah, Sayuri, that's her name._

"Um, it had something to do with that, yeah. But don't worry about it, Naruto. I'm just feeling a little homesick and I'm using anything as an excuse for my crappy attitude." She smiled really big as she made to walk around Naruto and past Sasuke to continue down the street that had appeared in.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, we, er I mean, _I_ was wondering if you would like to train with us today? Just us, Team Seven united."

Sakura faltered in her step and turned wide eyes to stare at Naruto. Then she smiled at his hopeful look and he almost looked like he would explode with happiness.

At her nod he stumbled over his words, telling her to meet them at the usual bridge at around four.

Naruto watched her and the green-haired guy walk down the street before turning to look at Sasuke. He raised an eyebrow at his friend's sour expression.

"What's your problem, teme?" Naruto asked before walking up the street in the opposite direction Sakura had went in.

Sasuke glared after him as he followed, "What the hell are you inviting her for? Sayuri's going to throw a fit and I'll have to listen to her bitch about it the entire day tomorrow."

"That's why you're gonna tell her training was canceled for today. I don't think Sakura-chan would think of it as 'Team Seven united' with Sayuri-chan there." Naruto looked nervous at the thought.

Sasuke's glare intensified, "Why the hell don't you tell her?"

"She's _your_ girlfriend."

"It's _your_ idea!"

"Just do it, Sasuke-teme! _Shit!_" And with that Naruto leapt onto the nearest rooftop and sped away.

* * *

"Any news of the boy?"

"None as of yet."

"What's taking so long? How hard is it to find a helpless whelp of a prince?"

"He's not on his _own_, Kinto. The empress is also missing and no one claims to have killed the third warrior of the Saadhia, so I'm sure he's with them."

A tall man with chocolate brown hair tied in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck turned to glare at the young warrior. He had a long, thin, jagged scar going from his hairline down through his left eye to the tip of his jaw. It made him look more fearsome, rather than delicate like how he would have looked without it.

"Then _find_ them! _Someone_ must have seen them leave the city! How many pink-haired women have you come across lately, really! It can't be that hard! It's already been more than a week and you're still taking your time! You have _one _job and you can't even do it!" Kinto yelled while he paced.

The young warrior flinched at his harsh tone and kept his face downward until he was done.

"We have one more week left until Lord Radek gets here. If you haven't found the boy and its mother by then I swear I'll kill you. Now get out."

At Kinto's deadly tone the young man scrambled to his feet and hastily yanked the door open before scuttling out.

As the door clanked shut, Kinto sank into the chair behind a heavy mahogany desk with a frustrated sigh. He was sure Radek would kill him too if he didn't find the puny prince before he got here.

If only he knew more about that foreign empress; not many people knew of her past and those that did were far too faithful to spill her secrets under a bit of torture. Maybe he would have to up the amount of torture on the prisoners, maybe even killing them one-by-one to scare the others.

* * *

Four o'clock came about far to quickly. Sakura was shopping with Riina while Galen had stayed back with Xanthus and Tofu at the house. They were having so much fun until Sakura had caught the time on a clock in a small boutique they were in and saw that it was three thirty-three.

She had yelled something to Riina, practically teleported home scaring the crap out of Galen and Xanthus who were in the yard and pelted into the house. She threw all but one of her shopping bags onto the couch in the living room, threw herself into her room to change into a new training outfit she had just bought and then rushed out of the house. She whizzed past Galen who was just running into the house to see what was the matter.

She yelled one word at him, 'training' and then she had poofed out of the yard in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

It was three fifty-eight when she reached the corner that led to the red bridge they used to meet at when they were just genin.

She heard Naruto before she saw him.

"I told you to tell her it was canceled! What the _fuck_!"

"Hn, must have slipped my mind."

Sakura turned the corner, her brows furrowed in confusion. She faltered in her step when she saw who else was on the bridge.

Naruto was still yelling at Sasuke who was leaning casually against the railing with a bored expression on his face. And there next to him with a sly smirk on her face was that _girl_, Sayuri.

She was the first one to notice Sakura and her smirk widened.

"Oh, what a surprise! Sakura-san, wasn't it?" Sayuri greeted, her tone dripping with false cheer.

Naruto froze like if someone had a kunai pressed to his back. He turned slowly to look at Sakura, his face white with dread.

"S-Sakura-chan! You made it! G-Great!" He forced a grin onto his face, while scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Hey, Naruto." Sakura started walking again, purposely ignoring Sasuke as she turned a cold smile onto the other woman. "Hello again, Sayuri-san. I didn't know you were a part of Team Seven."

Naruto flinched at her meaning. Sayuri's smirk turned smug.

"That's what _I_ was going to say to _you_." Sayuri felt satisfaction flow through her as Sakura's eyes hardened.

Sayuri turned her cool pink eyes on Naruto, "Now what were you saying Naruto-kun? Something about telling me today's meeting was 'canceled'? How strange."

Sakura could see beads of sweat forming on Naruto's hairline at Sayuri's predatory stare. She glanced at Sasuke and clenched her fists at the quirk of his lips.

She glared at him when he turned his blank eyes on her. Then she looked at Naruto, sympathy for him welling inside her.

"Hey Naruto," She started gently so he wouldn't look at her in fear, "don't worry about today. I'll just go. We can do lunch tomorrow or something, bring Hinata-san with you."

Before Naruto could open his mouth to reply, Sayuri cut him off, "No, no, Sakura-san. Stay. Who knows when Kakashi-kun will get here. We can train together, even numbers, two-on-two. Come on."

_Kakashi-kun..?_ Sakura narrowed her eyes before she forced a pleasant smile on her face. "Sure, if it's not too much trouble."

So their training began. Sayuri forced Sakura to pair up with her before shooing the boys away to their own space.

Then she turned to take in her opponent's attire. She smirked in amusement. "Sakura-san, did you know your clothes don't match?" She asked innocently.

Sakura froze before looking down at herself. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment. In her rush to get here on time she had combined different articles of clothing from the couple of outfits that were in the bag.

She had on an armless dark red top that cut off just below her breasts and a dark green long sleeve skintight top underneath it with stripes of black going down the sleeves. She had thrown on a brown leather looking skirt with strings of rope crisscrossing down the sides. It ended just above mid thigh and underneath it she had rolled on a pair of black leggings. A pair of shin-high sandals completed her mismatched outfit. She had thrown her hair in a sloppy ponytail with numerous strands falling from it.

She looked like she had gotten dressed in the dark. Actually, she _had _gotten dressed in the dark seeing as how she didn't pull the blinds up that morning because Xanthus was still sleeping and they had remained closed all day, blocking any sunlight from shining into the room. She fought the urge to die of embarrassment when she took in the other woman's outfit.

It was a simple but stylish mini-dress that the other girl seemed to favor. It was a light tan color and ended mid-thigh. It had short sleeves and it came up like a turtleneck with a large brown button keeping it closed on top. There was a thick belt around her waist that had a few pouches on it. She had on dark brown sandals that came up to meet the hem of her dress; Sakura had never seen the style nor the color before. She had on dark brown arm length gloves that matched her sandals. It was fingerless to show off her bright pink manicure that matched her toes.

Her lavender colored hair shone white in the sunlight and was tied up in a tight bun atop her head with two braids leading from her hairline to the bun.

Sakura straightened, trying to snatch back as much dignity as possible, "I was in a rush." She lifted her chin, daring the other girl to laugh.

Sayuri just smirked before removing her belt.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"You don't seem to have your kunai pouch. Did you forget all your weapons along with your fashion sense?" She let out a laugh as Sakura blinked blankly. "I don't want to have an 'unfair' advantage so no weapons."

Sakura's expression turned dark, "I don't need you to go easy on me. Pick up your weapons. That way we'll be even." She smirked as anger seeped into Sayuri's expression.

She bent down and snatched her belt off the grass before whipping it around her waist and buckling it. Once it was buckled she threw a kunai in Sakura's direction without warning and charged forward with another as the other girl turned into a log with the first kunai embedded in its middle. Sakura appeared behind her and Sayuri spun swiftly to block a kick with her arm and jabbed her kunai at the other girl with her other arm.

Sakura dodged the quick jabs of Sayuri's kunai, her heart beating fast at the thrill of a fight. She dodged a hard jab and grabbed Sayuri's arm before yanking her forward and punching her in the stomach with a chakra-enhanced fist. As soon as Sayuri turned into a log, Sakura was already rushing the real one, gathering more chakra into her fists.

A kunai whizzed past her ear and then she was throwing her fist into Sayuri's stomach again. The other girl didn't have time to dodge or even substitute herself for a log this time. Sayuri staggered back, her eyes wide with shock as she gulped air back into her lungs. And then Sakura was on her again, throwing her fists and kicking at her, forcing the other girl to fall into defense.

Sakura landed a chakra enhanced roundhouse kick into Sayuri's shoulder. The girl crumpled to the ground, breathing hard and glaring maliciously up at Sakura. Sakura threw her a smirk before pulling her arm back to throw another punch into Sayuri's face.

Sayuri jumped to her feet and with a yell she charged at Sakura with a kunai in her grip. She managed to nick Sakura's shoulder before the pink-haired kunoichi grabbed Sayuri's wrist and twisted it, catching the kunai that fell from its grasp. She jabbed the kunai at Sayuri who jumped back. A trickle of blood appeared on her cheek and she gingerly touched it in shock before anger clouded her expression.

She immediately started forming a series of hand movements, her pink eyes locked onto Sakura's green ones.

Sakura didn't give her time to form her jutsu easily; she rushed the girl with the stolen kunai and Sayuri was forced to jump out of Sakura's path.

Sakura smoothly changed her direction when Sayuri appeared to her left about fifteen feet away. She jumped into the air for momentum to smash her fist into the ground. A huge crater opened up under Sayuri and she shot into the air, pushing off a huge boulder Sakura's impact had created to jump onto clear land. She finished her last seal and Sakura had to poof to the other side of her crater to avoid the inky black vinelike tentacles that seemed to form out of midair. They shot after her and she jumped back out of their reach.

She looked up to see Sayuri running closer and Sakura had a second to jump back before a black vine struck out at her. She smashed her heel into the ground and didn't stay to watch the jagged crack work its way to Sayuri. Sakura was already running to another section of flat ground to smash another crack into it, this time another crater opened up under Sayuri as she touched down from her last jump to avoid the previous crack.

Sayuri fell into the crater with a shriek and Sakura only had a second to feel satisfied before she watched the black vines pull Sayuri out of the crater.

By now sweat had started to form on Sakura's forehead as she tried to figure out what the black vines were. They seemed to suck the light out of the air and she didn't want to know what would happen if one of the vines got a hold of her.

Sayuri was angry now as her hands blurred in a rapid flurry of movements. About twenty new black vines shot out of the air towards Sakura and she immediately pelted in the opposite direction towards the forest.

She could feel the vines whipping around her as Sayuri ran after her to keep the other girl in the vines' range. When Sakura reached the edge of the forest she shot into the air to land on a branch before jumping to another one. But before she could land she felt something wrap around her ankle before she was yanked back like a whip and crashing to the ground.

She was breathing hard as she sat up to see a black vine wrapped tightly around her foot, sparking strangely. She reached for it, intending to yank it off but her fingers went right through it.

"It's sucking your chakra out of you." Sayuri's smug voice sounded above her.

Sakura glared up at the other woman, her head light from the impact of the ground and the steady outflow of her chakra. Her foot was numb now and she was feeling mightily pissed off.

"How do you get it off?" She ground out.

"I'm not going to tell you _that_! What, you think I'm stupid?" Sayuri laughed shrilly and Sakura felt herself snap.

"_Yes_." She snarled before smashing a chakra infused fist into the ground, her teeth rattling from the force of it. A huge boulder popped out of the ground and practically _punched_ Sayuri in the face.

Sakura watched the black vines around her and the one on her foot melt into thin air as Sayuri fell to the ground unconscious.

Sakura sat there for a few seconds before standing up, swaying a little on her unsteady feet.

"That was interesting."

Sakura spun around in surprise to find Kakashi perched on the boulder that had just knocked Sayuri out.

"You're late." Sakura stated automatically.

"Nice outfit."

"Shut up."

* * *

Kinto was startled out of his contemplation of different ways of torturing someone as his office door banged open and a few men came in. They bowed their head in greeting before the one in the front stepped forward.

"Kinto, sir, we've finally gotten information on the empress."

Ah, so his new torture methods had worked. He had threatened to kill them off one-by-one until someone spoke but it hadn't worked. So he started bringing in young children and women from the city and torturing them before killing them right in front of Azryal's foolish warriors and it had finally paid off.

"We brought in one of the men's wives and he finally cracked. We killed her anyway."

"Good work. Now what did you find out?" Kinto asked, his impatience making the men feel unsettled.

"The empress, Haruno Sakura, is a shinobi from the Fire Country." The man who said it watched Kinto's expression, hoping he would be pleased.

Kinto's eyes widened slightly, "A _shinobi_? Hmmm, from the Fire Country. Then she must be from Konohagakure." A slow smirk spread Kinto's face as he looked up at the group of men before him. "No doubt she ran back to her little ninja village. Gather the mages in the throne room. I'm sure the little prince misses his home, why don't we be good little 'subjects' and bring him back?"

The men around him returned his smirk before leaving the office to do as they were told.

* * *

After Sakura had defeated Sayuri, Naruto and Sasuke had appeared. Their clothes were dirty and ripped up and there were bloody gashes and scratches all over them. They had obviously been taking their training seriously.

Sasuke didn't seem to care that his girlfriend was sprawled unconscious on the ground while Kakashi and Sakura chatted over her. But he couldn't hide the impressed glint in his dark eyes when he looked at Sakura.

Naruto was grinning broadly as he clapped Sakura on the back. He wanted to know all the details about their battle and had invited her to dinner. Sasuke had 'hned' and picked up Sayuri, whose head lolled to the side.

Sakura felt bad when she saw Naruto's smile falter at Sayuri's unconscious state so she suggested that she heal them up before they go. She took about twenty minutes to heal all the major wounds on both men before she woke Sayuri up. The girl had shot to her feet and started cursing Sakura with a very colorful array of nasty words. Naruto's jaw had dropped and even Sasuke had looked shocked.

Kakashi was the only one who wasn't surprised and he had laid a heavy hand on Sayuri's shoulder and she fell silent instantly. She actually looked embarrassed.

Then the air grew thick with awkwardness and Sakura told them she would see them later; that she wanted to have dinner with her son.

She smiled at Naruto and Kakashi before walking off to the village. She still had enough chakra to 'poof' herself home but she wanted to cool off first. It had taken every shred of restraint to stop from punching Sayuri's lights out again.

She couldn't bear the thought of sitting through dinner with the insufferable sore loser.

Thirty minutes later Sakura was sliding the door open to the bathroom after finding the house empty. She filled a sweet smelling bath before submerging her entire body and head under the hot water.

She knew she would be sore in the morning so she hoped the bath would relax her muscles so she wouldn't be too stiff the next day.

Twenty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a simple pale yellow yukata with her damp hair falling down her back, her bangs slicked back from her face. She heard voices coming from the kitchen so she made her way there.

She inhaled the delicious smell of dinner before seeing Galen, Riina, and Xanthus sitting around the dinner table with Tofu scuttling around their feet, begging for some scraps.

"We were wondering when you would come out of there." Galen said, the first to spot her in the hall.

Xanthus spun around in his seat shouting in excitement, "Mama!"

"I was beginning to think you drowned yourself." Riina stated dryly, smirking in her direction.

"I guess I shouldn't depend on _you _to stop me if I ever decided to commit suicide." Sakura stated flatly before scooping Xanthus into her arms when he had thrown himself at her legs.

"Hm, I guess not." Riina muttered absent-mindedly before popping a shrimp tempura into her mouth.

Sakura rolled her eyes before plopping Xanthus back into his chair, smacking a kiss onto his head and then taking her seat on the chair next to him. She smiled slightly when he didn't grimace at her kiss like he used to.

"How was your training?" Galen asked.

"It would have been great if that," Sakura glanced at Xanthus who was listening intently to what she was saying, "uh, b-i-t-c-h hadn't been there."

"I thought it was supposed to be just your old team."

"Yeah well, that jerk Sasuke 'forgot' to tell her, which I highly doubt. He just wanted to be an a-s-s-h-o-l-e." Sakura shoved a dumpling into her mouth, chewing furiously.

After she swallowed she noticed Galen and Riina staring at her in amusement. "What?" She snapped.

"What happened that made you so mad, _besides_ you-know-who being there." Riina asked, the beginnings of a smirk forming.

Sakura sighed dramatically, "Well, to start off, I looked like a complete wreck! I didn't want to be late so I just threw on a bunch of clothes from the different training outfits I bought today and I looked like some psycho girl and that you-know-what had the gall to make fun of me! Then after I beat the s-h-i-t out of her I felt bad and _revived_ her! Then she had the _nerve_ to curse the h-e-l-l out of me in front of Naruto and Kakashi and that _jerk_ Sasuke!" She was breathing hard by the end of it, a manic fire burning in her eyes.

"You don't have to spell out 'hell', Xanthus already knows that one." Riina muttered.

Galen saved Riina from the pummeling she was no doubt about to experience by bringing light back onto the people who she really hated, like that bitch and that asshole.

They listened to Sakura rant about them a little while longer before Galen smoothly changed the topic to the meeting they had that morning.

"When do you think Tsunade will be ready to send people off to do undercover work?"

Sakura stopped halfway through a particularly passionate insult on Sayuri's lack of modesty and stared at Galen blankly before straightening and clearing her throat, "Uh, it usually depends on how she's feeling. Sometimes it would take _weeks _for her to do something; I always used to catch her passed out on her desk with sake bottles scattered around her." Her smile faltered at Galen's skeptical look and she hastily added, "But since this 'predicament' is so serious she'll probably have it done in a few days. Don't worry."

Galen stared at her for a couple of seconds before resuming his dinner.

"So are you guys going to go help with the undercover work?" Riina asked, sipping her tea.

"No, I don't think it would be wise to be gallivanting across the country. I'm sure Kinto made certain he found out what we looked like and had every one of his mages memorize our descriptions." Sakura stated matter-of-factly, and Galen nodded his agreement.

"So what are we going to do while they're trying to find out information?" Riina placed her cup down, her brows furrowing.

"Well, we'll have to keep low for a while. I'm going to get my old job back at the hospital. You should consider getting a job too." Sakura stated, looking pointedly at Riina." We can't depend on Tsunade to keep paying our rent here. And seeing as how Sasuke isn't too fond of me, he won't be giving us a discount either." Sakura added darkly.

Riina looked absolutely scandalized at the suggestion of her getting a job, "W-What! I can't _work_! Why aren't you telling Galen to get a job too? I could look after Xanthus!"

"That wouldn't be a problem, only that you're completely helpless and wouldn't stand a chance against a mage." Sakura stated exasperatedly.

"What? What are you talking about mages for? We're in a city full of vicious shinobi! We'll be fine!"

"Oh, would you use your brains a little, Riina!" Sakura snapped. "Those mages could figure out where we are any day and I don't want them finding Xanthus completely unprotected. And the shinobi would be _nothing_ against a mage, no matter how many there were. I'm not taking any chances; Galen will be guarding Xanthus and _we _will be working. Got it?"

Riina's face scrunched up in anger, "So Galen gets to stay home taking care of the brat like some, some _housewife_ while we bring home the bread? Aren't you a little confused? It's the _women_ who get to stay home and get pampered while the men work their asses off!" She said shrilly.

"Riina! Watch your damn mouth!" Sakura looked pissed off as she clamped her hands around Xanthus's ears while Galen looked offended at being called a 'housewife'. "And don't you dare call Xanthus a 'brat'. You're more spoiled than he is!"

"And I'm not a housewife, nor will I ever be."

Both women ignored Galen's soft admission and continued to glare at each other while the tension grew thick.

"Asses!" Xanthus piped up.

Sakura dropped her hands from Xanthus's head in a dramatic huff and her glare intensified. "See what you did?" She snapped at Riina before turning a stern stare onto Xanthus, "Xanthus, don't you ever say that word again."

"He's bound to learn it some time." Riina muttered and when Sakura turned another death glare onto her she slid her chair back and carried her dishes to the sink.

* * *

About two days later Tsunade had the squads ready to go. She was sending four squads of seven shinobi first then she would send more later if nothing came up. She didn't want too many shinobi leaving at once in case any enemy villages caught wind of it and thought she was up to something and did something foolish.

Sakura had gone to the hospital soon after and Tsunade had appointed her one of the Head Healers. Riina had managed to scrounge up a job at the cafe they had eaten their first breakfast at. She was required to perform menial tasks like sweeping, mopping, and to her horror, washing dishes. She always came home in a bad mood, huffing about how she had become nothing more than a servant. Only her blossoming romance with Galen was able to get her in better spirits. Though she saved special glares and sneers for whenever Sakura ventured too near.

Although he didn't complain, Sakura could see how bored Galen had become. He was stuck doing silly tasks like taking Xanthus to the playground or to get ice cream. So she wasn't surprised that whenever she came home for her breaks she would spot him in the yard training so hard, his body drenched in sweat and glistening in the sunlight. Xanthus would usually be on little adventures around the house with Tofu as his only playmate. But as the days went on, she could see how bored he was becoming too. Galen had taken him to a toy store one day and bought him a few toys to keep him busy. They didn't keep him interested for long and soon she found their broken parts hidden under a rug or the couch or being chewed to death by Tofu.

Though despite their boredom and Riina's foul mood, the four of them were steadily settling down into their new life.

She didn't see much of Naruto or Sasuke, or even much of the members of Rookie Nine. They were usually on missions every week and home for a day or two before they were gone again. After her first and only training session with 'Team Seven' she hadn't seen Sayuri again either, to her greatest pleasure. She had met up with Naruto and Hinata to have lunch the day after her training session but left almost as soon as Sasuke showed up. After that they were on constant missions. She went shopping with Ino a couple of times between her friend's shifts at her family's flower shop but then Ino was called on to go on a month-long mission with her old team. But Sakura didn't have much time to feel left out; her shifts at the hospital became longer and more grueling and she usually returned home too exhausted to even eat sometimes.

She had started getting up earlier than she had to so she could get in some much needed training with Galen. She had been put off by how tired she had been at the start of her job at the hospital; she had gotten lazy during her life of luxury despite her usual spars with Kyston and the others. So by the end of her second week of work she was pleased by how long she could go on without a break before her feet and back started aching.

Before they knew it two month had gone by and their previous life seemed to be just a dream. Tsunade had sent three more squads after a month had passed by due to the lack of information that was being reported back. All they knew was that the Akatsuki had disappeared and life had become peaceful. Sakura had darkly thought that it was most likely because they were too busy wreaking havoc in Saarik to worry about the shinobi villages.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sayuri, and Kakashi; the _new_ Team Seven, had returned two days ago but Sakura hadn't heard from them. Hinata was the one who told her Naruto would be returning from his long mission while the two women were having lunch like they usually did one day after she returned from a particularly short mission. Sakura had smiled and nodded, not sure if she was excited about Sasuke and Sayuri returning to the village. Naruto was always hanging around with them and she had come to the conclusion that he considered them his closest friends. She didn't feel as upset or left out like she was afraid she would feel; she couldn't really blame anyone for how she was feeling like an outcast in her hometown. She had left on her own accord and as soon as it was possible, she would leave again to return to Saarik.

"You look terrible."

"Thanks, Riina, really. You just made my day." Sakura bit out dryly as she trudged to the bathroom after an extra two hours at the hospital. A small jounin squad had returned from a mission and more than half of their group was bloodied up and Sakura had to stay back to oversee everything. After a long thirty minutes in the bathroom, Sakura emerged in a pale blue yukata to find the kitchen empty. She couldn't smell anything remotely related to 'dinner' and her stomach growled in protest.

She stepped onto the wooden porch and stared out at the dimming yard. The sky was painted pink and orange as the sun began to set. She stood there, leaning against a wooden pole for five minutes staring hard at the path that led into the district, hoping she would see Galen walking down it with bags of food swinging from his hands.

She found her ire rising at the lack of food and she was just about to stomp back into the kitchen to scrounge something up but froze when she heard voices up the cobbled path.

To her great relief Galen appeared with bulging bags of food and Sakura almost cried in happiness. Riina was carrying a bag with bottles sticking out of it and Xanthus was pelting down the path when he spotted her, Tofu at his heels.

She would have scooped him up in a big hug but she was too weak so she just bent down and pulled him into a tight hug before her nose caught the scent of the food. She became almost instantly hypnotized as she followed a smirking Galen into the kitchen like a zombie.

"Someone's hungry." Riina remarked as she followed them in.

"You have _no_ idea." Sakura mumbled, taking a seat and pulling a container of take-out towards her. "I skipped _two_ of my breaks because we were short on healers today and it just happened to be one of those days when tons of people decided to play hero and get themselves skewered. And we couldn't call in any extra help because all the extra help were out on missions." She complained between bites of sukiyaki.

"Yeah well, it couldn't be worst than _my_ day." Riina grumbled, shoving a shrimp tempura into her mouth.

Sakura eyed her tempura before snatching one out of Riina's container and popping it into her mouth. She chewed appreciatively before gulping down some fizzy drink Galen had bought for Xanthus.

Riina glared at Sakura and then glanced at Galen who was calmly sipping his miso soup "_Well_, aren't you going to ask me what happened?" She snapped, returning her glare on Sakura.

"What happened?" Sakura asked absent-mindedly as she tipped some of her soba noodles onto Xanthus's plate who gleefully slurped them up.

"I got fired." Came Riina's meek confession.

Sakura froze, a large clump of soba noodles flopping onto Xanthus's plate, some of the sauce splashing him in the face.

"What? Say that again." Sakura turned a hard stare onto Riina who seemed to wilt under it.

"I got _fired_." She said loudly, staring at the table.

"Explain." Sakura's stare was so cold, Riina was in danger of hypothermia.

"I hit a kid with a mop."

"_What?"_

"He wouldn't stop spilling milk all over the floor and I had to clean up after him like _five_ times _and_ refill his damn cup every time! It wasn't fair and his idiot parents wouldn't do _anything_! So I told them if they couldn't discipline their own son, _I_ would. They threatened to speak to the owner and then the freaking kid spilled his milk again so I whacked him on the head. Karasuma-san saw me do it and didn't even ask any questions; he fired me right in front of everyone. I was so humiliated!" Riina wailed.

Sakura was staring at Riina in disbelief and Galen was smirking into his cup.

"Riina, how can you be so _stupid_? Of course he would fire you! You assaulted a customer and a _child_ no less!" Sakura had to force herself not to whack the younger girl upside the head for her stupidity, "You need to find another job. I can't be the only one bringing in the cash. And with your uncontrollable shopping habits, we'll be out on the streets in under a week."

Riina sniffled in her corner and nodded meekly.

Sakura glanced at Galen, "Why aren't you saying anything? She's your girlfriend. Teach her how to be smarter."

"She already told me before you got home. She was in a near panic," Galen ignored Riina's glare and continued, "that's why we didn't have dinner ready for when you got home."

Sakura screwed up her face, "Please don't tell me you left my son alone while you 'comforted' the brainless one." At Galen's smirk and Riina's dark blush, she got her answer. She rolled her eyes, "I think you both need to straighten out your priorities." She said before returning to her dinner.

* * *

"These are the only mages within the vicinity?"

"Yes, sir. It would take nearly two weeks to bring all the mages here from the other towns and that would leave the prisoners unchecked."

"I know what it would entail, Reis." Kinto snapped as he looked at each and every mage that was brought in from different parts of Saarik and Saalihl. There were only twenty-six; not much to choose from.

He looked down at the thick file in his hand that had every mage registered on it along with their special abilities and choice of weapon next to a picture and name along with a short description of their strengths and weaknesses. He flipped through the pages that Reis had marked so it would be easier for Kinto to decide who to send out of the twenty-six mages.

It had been five days since he had found out where the empress was from. It had taken him longer than expected to get the magickless warriors stationed throughout the city so the mages could report back to the palace. His temperament was hanging by a thread; he was quick to snap and issue punishments all due to the precious time that was being wasted. Radek was bound to show up any day now and he had to look like he had everything under control before he was killed because Radek deemed him slow and useless.

"These five will do." Kinto ripped the five pages from the rest of the files and handed them to Reis before leaving the throne room with the rest of the thick file under his arm. "They leave immediately." He said over his shoulder before the doors shut behind him.

Reis looked down at the first page.

_Name: Tiek  
Hair Color: Gray  
Eye Color: Teal  
Age: 25  
Special Ability: Electricity, Barriers  
Weapon of Choice: Chain Dagger_

Reis looked up and spotted him instantly, "Tiek, step forward please."

Tiek swaggered to stand in front of Reis and at a nod from Reis went to lean against a marble pillar facing the rest of the mages.

Reis flipped to the next page.

_Name: Zaire  
Hair Color: Black  
Eye Color: Orange  
Age: 28  
Special Ability: Speed, Hypnosis  
Weapon of Choice: Twin Chakrams_

"Zaire, step forward."

Zaire strolled to join Tiek by the pillar, a smug expression on his face.

Reis turned to the third page.

_Name: Seiryn  
Hair Color: Red-Brown  
Eye Color: Hazel  
Age: 26  
Special Ability: Light Manipulation, Healing  
Weapon of Choice: Javelin_

After Seiryn joined the other two mages, Reis continued until all five were called and the rest of the mages were dismissed.

"So, what's the destination, Reis?" Tiek drawled from his position by the marble column.

"Konohagakure." Reis stated flatly. His lips twitched at their blank stares.

"Where the _fuck_ is that?" Zaire said loudly.

"Shut up and he'll tell us." Seiryn shot Zaire an annoyed look before fixing his eyes on Reis.

Reis nodded once, smiling at their impatience. He pulled out a map and held it out. Tiek snatched it before Zaire could and unrolled it.

"What the hell!" He exclaimed and then Zaire managed to grab it. While the others were looking at it he turned to Reis, "What is Kinto playing at? Where the hell is this place? I've never seen these countries before!"

"If you don't know anything about it, you weren't meant to so keep your mouth shut and just follow orders." Reis stated sternly, ignoring Tiek's perplexed look.

He heard him mutter "Then how the fuck are we supposed to _follow orders_ if we're not '_meant_' to know about it?"

Forcing down the urge to smirk at Tiek, Reis stepped back to bring the rest of the chosen mages within view, "You're to get to Konohagakure within the following week and bring the empress, Haruno Sakura and Saarik's prince, Xanthus, back here, _alive and unharmed_. Got it? They should be _just the way you found them_. Kill anyone who gets in your way. Tell no one where you came from or where you're going." He pulled out some more papers from a file under his arm, "Each of you will get a map in case you're separated. How you go about bringing them back here is up to you; just don't bring _too much_ attention to yourselves. We're not ready for unwanted attention until Lord Radek gets here. Leave immediately." And with that, he passed out the remaining maps and left through the same pair of doors Kinto had left through.

"Wait! How are we supposed to _get there_?" Tiek shouted after him.

Reis popped his head back into the throne room, "Just head west. Follow the map, fool." And he disappeared again.

The five mages stood in silence studying their maps before Seiryn rolled his map up and left through the doors, stating that he'll meet with them in an hour where the Wall of Saarik used to be. Zaire glanced at Tiek before shrugging and leaving too with the rest of the mages following.

An hour and a half later a pair of blue eyes with golden sparks watched a small group of five mages make their way across the border leading away from paradise and into the life-draining abyss of the desert before his weathered form flickered and disappeared from the tree branch he had been perched on.

* * *

**Hope it was long enough. Once my hand stops hurting I'll start on the next chapter, lol.**

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**Pronunciations**

**Reis: _reese_**

**Tiek: _tea-ek_**

**Zaire: _zeer_**

**Seiryn: _say-rin_**

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**Remember to review! Really spurs a writer on! _And check out the new poll I posted. Just for fun ^^_  
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**_yuru_^^  
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	13. Shadow of the Day

**Writer's block is a bitch.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to Naruto and everything related to Saarik. ^^**

**Enjoy.

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**Chapter Thirteen  
**_Shadow of the Day  
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"He's here. Lord Radek has arrived."

Kinto looked up sharply to see Reis standing by the open door to the office, panting from running all the way here. It had been three days since the five chosen mages had left to carry out their task. Three days and he still hadn't received word that they had reached the checkpoint in the Sand Village.

"Where is he?" Kinto asked as he scooted out from behind his desk and stood up.

"Heading here now. He just arrived in Saalihl ten minutes ago when the message reached us." Reis hurriedly explained.

Reis stared into Kinto's face, catching the twitch in his eye before the older man led the way out of the office.

It took them five minutes to reach the entrance hall where they found four warriors standing by the throne room doors.

Kinto gave them a hard look which caused the one closest to hesitate before clearing his throat. "Kinto sir, Lord Radek is waiting for you in the throne room."

Kinto seemed to freeze and it seemed to take a few seconds longer for him to gather his nerves. He gave the young warrior who had spoken a curt nod before asking, "How long ago did he arrive?"

"Only two minutes ago, sir."

Without another word Kinto strode past the four men by the doors and marched into the throne room with clenched fists. The first thing he noticed was a group gathered near the throne and as he drew nearer his eyes finally caught sight of what he was meant to see; Lord Radek was sitting on the throne in a regal state despite his travel-worn appearance, his cold blue eyes were fixed on Kinto who immediately fell to his knees before the throne.

"My Lord Radek, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Kinto had his head bent, fighting to keep his voice steady.

Radek watched the crouched form of his most faithful servant with a bored expression before flipping his long blond hair over his shoulder as he addressed him. "Oh, Kinto get up, you're embarrassing yourself."

Kinto paused before slowly climbing to his feet, a flush apparent on his cheeks as the mages gathered around the throne snickered.

"So what have you accomplished since I sent you here to rid this place of that fool?" Radek drawled as he inspected his nails.

Kinto straightened himself before answering, "I've found out where the empress is hiding along with the prince. I sent a group of hand-picked mages to retrieve them."

"How long ago was this?" Radek asked nonchalantly.

Kinto hesitated, beads of sweat popping up on his forehead, "Not three days ago, lord."

Radek flicked his cold blue eyes back to Kinto, his expression no longer laid back, but fierce and hard, "You mean to tell me you've been here for how long and you've only _now_ started looking for the little whelp? Kinto, I thought you could handle this." His tone was beyond patronizing and Kinto clenched his fists at the expectant look Radek was giving him.

"My Lord, the prisoners were harder to break than assumed. We took time to find their weaknesses and exploit them."

"Oh save your excuses Kinto." Radek cut Kinto off with a wave of his hand, his expression becoming annoyed. "Tell me something that actually matters; where is that pathetic excuse for an emperor?"

"We have him in a holding cell. His magick streams were somehow unblocked so I had to resort to the bracelets to keep him under control until you arrived." Kinto reported hesitantly.

Radek finally looked interested, his cold eyes softening in wonder. "Show me."

Kinto bowed once more before turning to lead Radek to the holding cells on the lower floors. His lips quirked at the prospect of someone else on the receiving end of Radek's foul attitude and he looked forward to it with a sadistic fervor.

* * *

"How many more days until we finally reach the fucking sand village?"

Seiryn rolled his eyes at another of Zaire's loud remarks. He glanced down at his map, the distant sound of Tiek yelling at Zaire to 'shut up' in the background. Although he didn't voice his concern, he was a little confused at the length of time it was taking them to reach the Hidden Sand Village. On the map that Kinto had given them was a note that stated it would take four days to get to the Sand Village from Saalihl. It had been six days since they left Saalihl and there was no sign of any village and they were running low on supplies already. The plan was to restock in Suna and then head for a border town and restock again before crossing into the Fire Country.

"It's too fucking hot! Lets stop already. We've been walking for hours!" Zaire complained as he plopped down on a dusty rock jutting from the hills of sand. He flinched when his bottom rested on the roasting surface of the rock and he quickly pushed off it before sitting in its shadow instead.

No one complained as they knelt in the boiling sand, wetting their throat with a bit of water from their waterskins.

Seiryn stared off into the horizon, willing the Sand Village to appear before them but to no avail. Even if he did see something resembling civilization he would brush it off as another mirage and trudge on in the hopeless blazing heat.

While Seiryn was wallowing in his pessimism, Tiek was clearing his mind to meditate. He blocked out his fellow mages and zoned out on the sounds and feelings of the desert. He didn't feel the heat nor the scratchiness in his throat. He was reaching out with the expertise used when weaving his barriers. He passed over a dozing lizard and a slithering snake, a patch of cacti, a gust of wind, the buzzing of a beetle. It felt like hours passed when it happened; a brush of magick. It breezed over his senses in a soft rush almost breaking his concentration.

He followed it to its source, stretching his limits and putting a strain on his mind and concentration. It was becoming painful the farther out he went until finally he felt them, like the tips of his fingers barely skimming the edge. There were two of them and at the exact moment he became conscious of their presence, they felt him too and cut his concentration like a knife slicing through him.

It felt like his mind practically fell into his body and he awoke with a gasp and drenched in sweat. He was trembling from the force of pushing his limits and when he looked up, the other mages were staring at him.

"It's a spell." Tiek stated, his voice thick with fatigue.

"What are you talking about?" Seiryn asked.

Tiek glared at the four other mages before stumbling to his feet. He felt unbalanced and weak but his mind was reeling.

"We're in a _spell_." He said it as if talking to small children. "The reason we haven't been able to reach Suna yet, why it feels like we're wandering aimlessly in circles; because we _were_ wandering aimlessly in circles!"

"How do you know this?" Seiryn asked, ignoring Zaire's loud curses in the background.

"What do you think I was doing just now? I wasn't meditating for fun! I felt two mages miles from here and they cut my contact with them. But before my concentration was broken, I felt the spell that they were trying to keep me from noticing. And now it's broken." Tiek ended smugly.

"How do you know it's broken?" One of the less talkative mages asked.

"Because it's an illusion spell. Once you know it's there, once you become conscious of the illusion, it breaks. You call yourself a mage?" Tiek snarked, causing the other mage to bend his head in embarrassment.

"So what now?" Zaire asked.

Seiryn looked at him in annoyance, "What do you think? We get to Suna before Kinto sends another team out here to dispose of us for being useless."

It took them less than a day to cross the hills of sand that had once seemed impossible to reach and then they were looking down at the sprawling Hidden Sand Village, Sunagakure.

Once they crossed into the village they immediately sent a messenger hawk to Saarik to inform Kinto of their arrival like he had planned for them to do. And then they made their way to the busy streets of the markets to find an inn to stay the night and to restock their supplies.

* * *

"It took them _seven_ days, an entire _week_ to reach the Sand Village? What sort of mages did you send, Kinto? Were they even mages? Pathetic."

Kinto forced himself to keep from flinching at every harsh, nonchalant word Radek threw at him. A messenger hawk arrived an hour ago from Suna with a note that stated the mages had finally arrived in Suna. It also had a small note on _why_ it had taken so long for them to reach and he was deeply ashamed that it took them this long to figure out they were in an illusion.

Once Radek had read it he hadn't stopped from bringing up how completely useless the mages on the mission were and Kinto was constantly feeling like a fool around him. Between his constant ridiculing, Radek was implying that Kinto was just as useless and weak as the mages he had handpicked on his own.

"A thought just struck me Kinto." Radek drawled, a small quirk to his lips.

"What's that, my Lord?" Kinto mentally prepared himself for the insults that were sure to come.

"Well, if it took them a whole week to reach Suna when it should have taken them four days, imagine how long it would take them to reach the Fire Country. A month or two might pass when only a week or two should." Radek smirked at the snickers that echoed around them from the line of mages gathered in the throne room.

Kinto felt his face burn in embarrassment. "What are you saying, Lord Radek?" Kinto asked, his voice forcibly steady.

"I'm saying that I want you to join them."

Kinto's eyes widened in shock. His mouth opened and closed in an attempt to say something but no words came out.

"I think with your _guidance_," Radek paused so his mages could snicker some more, "they might just be able to make it to Konoha within the year."

Kinto couldn't find his voice fast enough to object, and even if he could his courage had left him long ago and he doubted he would have the gall to stand against Radek's wishes. All he could manage was a shaky bow in acceptance, his mind clouding over the sinister laughter of the mages around him.

The next day the messenger hawk was sent back to Suna bearing another message stating that Kinto would meet up with the group of mages at the border town. It would take him less time to head straight to the border fully supplied than to waste time meeting up at Suna where the other mages would have to remain idle for days and raising suspicion amongst the villagers.

Despite the humiliation of being sent on a mission like a lower rank mage instead of remaining as Radek's right hand man, Kinto was secretly grateful he could escape the constant eye of Radek and the steady ridiculing he was made to suffer daily since his leader's return.

It would take two days for the mages to reach the border town from Suna. If Kinto kept the pace he was at now he would make it there in four days. His message to the mages told them to stay in Suna for one more day so they would only have to stay idle in the border town for one day before Kinto joined them. Kinto was also bringing two mages with him. Though it wasn't by choice; Radek had insisted he take reinforcements, subtly implying that he didn't trust Kinto's judgement on the ones he had chosen already. He threatened them to not slow him down or else he would kill them himself.

Day and night melted into one another as Kinto fought his way across the blazing desert. He rested for ten minutes every two hours, replenishing his strength with water, food, and a bit of magick. The two mages with him didn't dare speak in case they triggered his anger. They stayed silent while they rested, following their leader in complete obedience.

The fourth time the sun rose high in the sky, Kinto spotted the small town near the border that separated the deadly desert from the lush land of Fire Country. He stumbled onto the dust covered cobbled streets of the town, the buildings giving some shade to his sun scorched face.

He was pointed to the only inn in town and in less than fifteen minutes he knew the room number his mages were staying in. He knocked on room number seven and soon the door swung open to reveal Zaire, his face set in a bored expression.

The first thing Zaire said to him was, "We've got a serious problem."

An hour later, Kinto was sitting on the only couch in the small room, his face blank, not sure if he should be feeling angry or worried.

"Tell me again how they died." Kinto stated, his voice soft as he rubbed his head with his thumbs and forefingers, willing the budding headache to go away.

"One died just when we left Suna, he had symptoms of an allergic reaction, but we didn't eat anything strange while in Suna. Just bread, water, some dried fruits and whatnot." Seiryn, the healer, stated in a businesslike tone. "The other one died a few hours into the second day by dehydration. But it was impossible because not a half hour before we had a water break."

Kinto remained silent as he mulled this over. Tiek was propped on the windowsill, silent and unmoving. Zaire was sprawled on one of the beds, his hands behind his head and one of his knees bent. Seiryn was perched on the low coffee table in front of Kinto, waiting patiently for a response. The two other mages that had come with Kinto were sitting around a small table, their chairs slanted to face Kinto. They hadn't said a word and their faces were completely emotionless.

"The way you described it makes it seem like it wasn't just coincidence." Kinto stated calmly after a long silence.

Seiryn shook his head as he straightened a bit, "That's because it wasn't. I'm certain it was those two mages Tiek sensed, the ones who had us in the illusion. They're determined to stop us from getting to our destination."

"How certain are you?" Kinto asked sternly.

"Quite." Seiryn quipped confidently.

"So how do you suppose they did it?" Kinto leaned back in the couch, his face emotionless but his tone skeptical.

"Well, they're very powerful mages. They could have set traps for us. I examined the one who was dehydrated and there was a trace of magick but I couldn't separate it to examine it. It just disappeared as soon as I knew it was there. I think it was a spell to evaporate everything he consumed." Seiryn explained.

"What about the first one?"

"I didn't find much on him. But I would bet it was another spell; maybe a poison spell that reacted to food." Seiryn answered.

"So who do you suppose did it?"

Kinto's thoughts were interrupted by Zaire's loud remark. He flicked his eyes to the black-haired mage before answering, "Isn't it obvious? Which three powerful mages went unaccounted for after we captured Saarik?" He watched Zaire shrug his shoulders in confusion after sitting up on the bed, "One is hiding out in the forest of fire, protecting the empress and the little whelp while the other two were..." He watched as comprehension finally filled Zaire's odd-colored eyes, "left behind to protect his majesty, Azryal."

"But they were never found amongst the captured mages." Seiryn added as Zaire nodded in understanding.

"And instead, they're trying to cause as much trouble to keep Radek's plans from being carried out." Tiek mumbled from his corner.

"Precisely." Kinto smirked, "I think we'd better do something about them."

"What about the whelp and its mother?" Tiek asked.

"Oh we'll take care of them. But I think it's time we showed Azryal's Saadhia what a bit of _real_ magick can do." Kinto stood up and stretched before walking to the door, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "Lets go. There's a little prince out there missing his daddy, I think it's time we reunited them."

* * *

"Oi, Sakura-san, where are you going?"

Sakura turned towards the voice and saw one of her healers waving at her from across the room. "Ah, lunch break!" She had just left the locker room where she traded her Healer's coat for shorts and a tank top.

"But it's three thirty!"

Sakura grinned and shrugged and the healer shook her head.

"You seriously need to stop skipping your lunch breaks."

"Hey, it was really busy around here. And I'm not _skipping_ them, I'm merely postponing them for a less busy time, that's all. Anyway, I'll see you later Mina-chan." Sakura waved at the younger girl and scooted out the hallway and into the lobby of the hospital. She waved at the receptionist as she passed by, heading for the large glass doors.

The day was blazing hot and she was glad she decided to wear shorts instead of the long pants she was debating on wearing that morning. She was planning on going home to eat with Xanthus, and hopefully Galen didn't decide to go for a stroll to the playground today. Or decide to accompany Riina on another obsessive shopping trip. That girl needed to get a job before she shopped their butts out onto the streets.

She was about five minutes away from the Uchiha District when she felt it. It blew against her, slithering up her spine causing her to shiver in response. She froze on the spot, her whole body tensing at the familiar feeling of magick against her skin. It was just a flicker, probably far away but no matter how far or how close it was a danger to her and her family.

She poofed herself onto her front yard before she pelted into the house. She yelled frantically but no one answered her and she cursed loudly before poofing herself into town. She ran across the street to the playground but Xanthus and Galen weren't there.

She was about to poof herself into the shopping district when another wave of magick, this time stronger and closer, washed over her. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and shivers as she fought to stay under control. She was sure Galen would have felt this too and he was probably trying to find her. He probably thought she was at the hospital where she should have been if she didn't skip lunch. She was a second away from poofing back to the hospital when she felt Galen's familiar stream of magick break through the foreign one.

Her heartbeat sped up frantically as she ran in the direction of it. She didn't dare teleport herself there in case she poofed right into the middle of a battle. She was out of breath when she finally reached the source of the magick; they were in the main street that led from the Gates of Konoha. She immediately spotted Galen standing in the middle facing a strangely dressed man with gray hair. They were talking but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

There was a large crowd of interested villagers making a circle around them and Sakura was just barely able to make out Riina's red head a little ways behind Galen. She had Xanthus by the hand and she looked scared. Tofu was clutched in Xanthus's free arm.

Sakura was about to make her way to them when a shadow fell across her path.

"Hello." A polite voice drew her attention. She followed the dark form of the shadow to the one who had greeted her.

He was handsome and he was smiling at her. He had brown hair that shone auburn in the sunlight, falling in thick waves around his shoulders. His eyes were a striking hazel and they bore into hers with an intensity that indicated something was off about him.

She managed a shaky smile before flicking her eyes to Galen and the other man. The gray-haired man was now swinging a black chain with a hefty dagger on the end in a wide circle above his head. He was saying something to Galen and Galen's expression wasn't nice.

She returned her attention to the man in front of her who was still smiling at her.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice firm and steady.

"You don't know who I am? Oh, but I know who _you_ are." His smile widened and he raised his hand. Sakura tensed but he only flicked his hair over his shoulder before lowering his hand again.

"Who am I then?" Sakura asked, desperately trying to buy some time before she figured out what to do.

"Why, you're her Highness, the Empress of Saarik, Haruno Sakura, former resident of Konohagakure. Wife of the Emperor, Azryal and legitimate mother of the only heir and prince of Saarik, Xanthus. Shall I go on?" His tone had become mocking and Sakura clenched her fists.

"No, I think that's good enough." Her eyes flicked back to Galen when she heard someone yell a battle cry. She saw the gray-haired man lunge at Galen, the dagger at the end of the chain whooshing past Galen's face as he dodged a second before the dagger could pierce him.

She flicked her eyes back to the man in front of her, "So, you know all about me and I don't even know your name."

A slow smile spread his features before he mockingly bowed, "Seiryn."

"You with this guy?" She asked with a nod towards the gray-haired man.

Seiryn only smirked as he continued to stare at her.

Sakura's attention was drawn to Galen's fight as she watched the dagger slice into his shoulder before the gray-haired man whipped the chain back so he could thrust the dagger forward again. Galen leapt out of the way, blood seeping from his shoulder and his forest green eyes flashing with anger.

The gray-haired man was laughing as he spun his dagger around in a wide circle above his head, waiting for Galen to make a move.

Suddenly, strange greenish yellow bubbles started forming from Galen's hands. They grew into trembling orbs, circling around his hands and then without warning Galen flickered out of sight and then he was flinging the sickening bubbles at his opponent from behind. The gray-haired man barely had time to dodge the brunt of it. One large orb touched his leg and flared green before exploding in a loud eruption. A mixture of explosions erupted around the battleground and the crowd scattered to avoid being hit. When the haze cleared, yellow pus seeped out of the bloody wound on the gray-haired man's leg, his face scrunched in a mixture of pain and anger.

Sakura noticed Riina dragging Xanthus off to the rear of the crowd but then the man named Seiryn moved into her line of vision, his sly smirk still plastered to his face.

"Sakura-san, can I ask you something?" Without waiting for an answer, Seiryn continued, "If something you cared about was stolen from you suddenly, how would you react?" Seiryn held up one finger, "Would you cry," He flicked up a second finger, "would you get angry," A third finger, "or would you go after it?" A treacherous gleam flitted across his hazel eyes and Sakura tensed as he moved closer.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked darkly.

"Your son." Seiryn clipped. "And for you to follow."

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm and a dark shadow fell across Seiryn's features as he reached forward to grasp her arm.

She swiftly moved out of his reach before dashing into the crowd of people still gathered in the streets. She sensed jounin and ANBU swarming all over the place and she vaguely noticed Galen's fight ending with the mob of shinobi falling into action.

She spotted Riina and Xanthus in the midst of a group of people. As she forced her way closer she saw that it was Tsunade with a team of ANBU as well as Jiraiya and Kakashi. But before she could get any closer a huge commotion erupted around her as people started to push and shove in their haste to get away from something.

She shoved one guy out of the way to see that the gray-haired man Galen had fought was standing in the midst of the panic with bright blue electricity coming from his fingers and striking people down. Almost a dozen shinobi, jounin and ANBU alike, were lying unmoving on the ground and even more bodies of innocent bystanders were scattered around on the street.

A rushing wind filled Sakura's senses as she stood in this nightmare and she was only pulled out of it when a harsh hand grabbed her wrist.

"Now Tiek!" The person who grabbed her yelled.

Sakura seemed to move on instinct alone because she barely registered what she was doing. A great amount of chakra flooded to her hand and she used that hand to grab onto the arm that had a hold on her. She forced all the gathered chakra into the arm and once it was all rushing through this person's magick streams, she triggered it so it exploded within the arm.

She heard the person screaming and only when she turned to make her getaway did she notice it was Seiryn. She only felt more justified as she shoved him roughly aside and pelted across the street. But before she could make her escape, something shimmered in front of her like a sheer curtain. Before she could stop herself she bumped into it and was shocked that it felt like she had bumped into a solid wall. Then she noticed it was eerily silent.

Her heartbeat sped up as she watched the villagers on the other side of the invisible wall rushing around in a panic. But it was like watching a show on mute. She couldn't hear anything on the other side; it felt like she was in a different dimension.

"It's a barrier. You can't get out."

Sakura gasped and spun around to see the gray-haired man who Galen had fought standing a few feet away from her. His leg was still bleeding from the strange bubbles Galen had produced and her mouth soured at the sight of the yellow pus that was still weakly seeping from the wound.

She was about to ask him what he wanted but she had an inkling that it wasn't any different from what Seiryn had said.

A slow smile spread across his face at her silence, "What, nothing to say? I heard you were much more feistier that this, what's the matter?" He watched her for a while and when the only reaction he got was her clenching her fists he sighed and shook his head.

Sakura's eyes flicked to his arm to see he still had that chain dagger. He swished it from side to side before he started to swing it in a wide circle. She tensed immediately, ready to defend herself despite the lack of chakra she had after she had shoved almost all of it into Seiryn's arm.

"Well, if you won't talk for me, I'll make you scream for me."

Sakura's heart froze as she watched his teal eyes darken and before she could even twitch a muscle in an attempt to move out of the way, the dagger shot towards her. She let out a shout as she dove to the side and the dagger clattered to the ground after hitting the barrier. Sakura felt a slight sting and looked down at her leg and noticed that the dagger had nicked her calf causing a thin line of blood to stand out against her skin. She looked up in time to see Tiek yank the chain back to bring the dagger back into motion. When it was in the air close to him he shot it back towards her. Sakura growled as she spun out of the way and kicked the dagger to the side. It didn't go too far but it gave her time to get to a safe distance. She glanced around quickly in the hopes of finding an escape but the shimmering barrier formed a bubble around them and there were no openings.

"Are you having fun yet?" Tiek asked, his smile now a smirk. He was spinning the dagger in another wide circle in an almost bored manner.

"What is the point of this?" Sakura snapped, her annoyance growing at his relaxed demeanor.

"Buying time. Why, you don't like playing with me?" Tiek was teasing her now and Sakura felt her anger spiking.

"What the fuck do you think? Buying time for what?"

Instead of answering, Tiek straightened up and let his dagger clatter to the ground. He looked to the side and stared for a moment at the barrier before swinging his chain around him so the dagger hung across his back.

Sakura flicked her eyes to the area Tiek had been staring at and gasped when she saw a man practically melt through the barrier. He was a tall man with chocolate brown hair tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck and a neatly trimmed goatee that would have made him look aristocratic if not for the thin scar on his face that made him look fearsome instead. It went perfectly well with the treacherous smile on his face.

Sakura could barely force down the surging panic she felt inside; she could barely protect herself against Tiek, what the hell was she going to do against _two_ mages? She looked outside the barrier in the hopes of seeing anyone there to help her but there was nothing but panic ensuing outside. The shinobi had managed to get all the villagers off the streets and they were now trying to subdue an injured but definitely not helpless Seiryn.

"They can't see you."

Sakura flung her face forward to see the new man standing not too far from her, his scary smile still on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura nearly growled out.

"The barrier prevents anyone outside from seeing what's inside. Unless of course you were a strong mage that has experience in barriers which I believe your faithful Galen is not."

"Fuck you." It was the best she could come up with, what with the insane anger building inside her, pushing her reason and logic aside, not to mention her wit.

"Now now, lets not be rude. A beautiful young empress such as yourself shouldn't foul your beauty with such degrading words."

"Why are you keeping me in this barrier?" Sakura asked, trying to buy time, but no matter how much time she had she didn't know what she would do with it; escape didn't look too promising.

"To talk." The man clipped.

"So talk." Sakura glared. She was trying to keep both men in her sight but she had a feeling the one she had to worry about the most was standing right in front of her.

"Now she gets fiesty." Tiek mumbled.

The man's smile melted off his face as he turned to stare at Tiek.

"Tiek, if you would be so kind, get out."

Tiek gaped, "What the hell! It's _my_ barrier!"

"And I'm in charge so get out. Go help Seiryn, he looks pitiful."

Sakura flicked her eyes to where Seiryn had been and saw that he looked like a caged animal with his lips peeled back from his teeth in a snarl as he swung his javelin around to keep the shinobi away from him. She turned just in time to see Tiek slump to the edge of the barrier so he could 'melt' out of it. She watched him on the other side as he rushed forward with his chain dagger swinging around wildly.

"Now, lets talk."

Sakura tensed again as she faced the man in front of her. He took a few steps toward her and she grew frantic which he seemed to sense because he stopped.

"Why are you so afraid? I'm not going to kill you."

"Then what are you going to do? Your men didn't mind trying to kill all those innocent people."

"Because they're not important."

"And I am?" Sakura nearly shouted, furious at his calm tone.

"Yes. Lord Radek has plans for you."

"Lord Radek?" Sakura stared at the man before her for a while and he didn't make any moves to talk or come nearer. "Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Kinto."

"Kinto!? You're Radek's right hand man! You're the guy that attacked Saalihl!"

"Ah, my reputation precedes me, I see. Good. Then we can skip all that awkward business about you discovering what a monster I am and go straight to what we have planned for you."

Sakura forced herself to not back away as a dark gleam fell across Kinto's chocolate brown eyes. "What are you talking about?" She nearly whispered.

"I'm going to take your son. And before you try to stop me with your weak shinobi attacks, let me say this, you can't." He let out a laugh and Sakura wished she had some type of sharp object so she could shove it straight into his gaping mouth.

"What do you want with Xanthus?" Sakura snarled.

"Me? Oh not me. Lord Radek wants Xanthus. And if you want to know why, then you'll just have to come find out for yourself. Ah, Zaire should be ready soon." Kinto was staring past Sakura so she turned around in time to see a black haired man fling a disk at a group of shinobi, cutting them down before the disk returned to his hand. Then to her horror she saw Riina with Xanthus in her arms exposed after the few men collapsed around her. The black haired man, who she assumed was Zaire, approached Riina and with little effort he grabbed Riina's arm and flung her forward, plucking Xanthus from her arms as he let her fall onto the ground. Xanthus was crying and Riina was shouting and struggling to get up. Zaire kicked her in the ribs and she collapsed, curling into a ball.

Sakura didn't see more because her eyes had blurred over with hot tears and she realized she was screaming so loudly her ears were ringing. And then before she knew what was happening Kinto had her pressed against the invisible wall of the barrier, his hot breath on her face.

"If you want him back, come to Saarik." Kinto whispered harshly into her ear before he shoved a knee into her abdomen right when she felt magick crawl across her skin like little insects. She would have crumpled into a ball just like Riina if Kinto wasn't holding her up. She wanted to fight back but her chakra was depleted and she felt weak. She let her head loll back against the barrier where she looked up in time to catch a blur of blue.

Then Kinto was suddenly pulled away from her allowing her to fall to her knees. Her limbs felt heavy and slow but she managed to raise her head. Although her vision was blurry she was able to make out a man punch Kinto in the face. Kinto didn't even counterattack. He slid across the ground from the impact and when he fell onto the barrier, instead of hitting it like a wall, it practically consumed him so he fell through it. She saw him roll across the ground on the other side before getting to his feet.

Sakura didn't see where he went because she was staring at the man who had saved her. A man with blue hair and matching eyes with gold sparks.

"Kyston...?" Her tone was disbelieving but her heart was soaring in hope.

The man moved closer and then she felt a warm hand cup the side of her face. The familiar feeling of magick crawled across her skin once more and her blurry vision subsided to reveal the smiling face of Kyston. But then her vision blurred again as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes before spilling over onto her cheeks.

"He used a spell on you to knock you out. I've countered it. Can you stand?" Kyston's voice was serious but his gentle touch revealed how worried he was. He helped her stand and she was surprised at how light her limbs felt.

She clutched at his arm and watched as his other arm waved towards the barrier. Then a strong surge of magick prickled against her skin before the shimmering barrier shattered into invisible pieces. And like earplugs being yanked out, the chaos and frenzy of the village came crashing down around her senses and she struggled to keep her bearings.

Along with the many voices around her came the reality that her son had been kidnapped. Her grip on Kyston's arm tightened and her throat closed up. She yanked at his arm to get his attention all the while chanting Xanthus's name like a prayer.

She was but a hairsbreadth away from falling into a panic.

"Sakura, you have to calm down." Kyston's deep voice reached her through the noise around them.

"How can I calm down, Kyston? My son's been kidnapped! That crazy fuck stole my son!" Sakura screeched, angry at Kyston's calm tone and at the fact that she was completely useless.

"Sakura--" Kyston reached for her but she shoved away from him, her eyes blurred once again with hot tears. She brushed them away angrily as she turned and her heart constricted at the sight before her. All around there were bodies lying on the ground in a puddle of bright red blood. Some were groaning, still alive, while others, shinobi and villagers alike, were unmoving.

Healers were rushing around trying to attend to as many of the wounded as possible while unhurt shinobi were getting as many of them to the hospital as they could.

Sakura stumbled forward, shocked at the amount of destruction just four mages could create in such a short amount of time but then she spotted a streak of red. Riina was slouched over a bleeding and very still Galen, sobs pouring from her lips while a jounin tried to drag her off him so a Healer could do what he could.

The panic Sakura was struggling to keep down came bursting forth in such force that she fell to her knees. She didn't even know she was screaming until she felt the pain in her throat but still she screamed. She felt the rage, the fear, the hopelessness, and the murderous intent fueling her as she clutched at the ground, dirt digging into her palms and beneath her nails. She passed out sometime afterward, she couldn't remember because the next thing she knew she woke up in her bed, her throat so sore she couldn't speak or even draw breath, and a big blue-black bruise on her abdomen.

She laid in bed for a few minutes, her mind completely blank, but her hands trembling uncontrollably. She would have stayed in bed longer, just lying motionless and staring up at the ceiling if it wasn't for the painful hunger that twisted her insides. She didn't know how long she was out but it felt like it had been days.

She flung the blanket off of her before rolling over and off the futon. She managed to get onto all fours before pushing up and weakly getting to her feet. She had on a flimsy white yukata that she knew would become sheer if she stood in the light but she didn't give a damn. She shuffled out of her room and into the bathroom across the hall. She must have peed for what felt like an hour before she had finally relieved herself. As she left the bathroom, she stopped in front of Galen's shoji door. She stood there for a while before gathering enough strength to push the screen aside.

The room was empty. Which, Sakura thought, was reasonable because it looked like it was past noon already. Galen usually got up earlier than anyone else. She didn't dare consider any other possibilities.

She turned and shuffled down the hall and into the kitchen. She expected it to be empty but there Kyston was, sitting on the chair that faced outside. The screen was pulled open so a nice breeze was blowing into the house. Kyston was sipping tea if the teapot on the table gave any indication but all she could see of him was the back of his royal blue head.

"I hope you're not just going to stand there and glare at me all day." Kyston put his cup on the table and stood up to face Sakura. He had a smile on his face but she thought it looked very strained.

"I wasn't glaring." Sakura mumbled as she leaned against the wall. She flinched at her hoarse voice and the soreness in her throat. She stared into his blue eyes and she didn't expect him to look away but he did.

"You must be hungry. It's been almost two days since you collapsed."

"_Two_ days!?" She wanted to yell at him for not waking her up so they could go after that bastard Kinto but the somber mood Kyston was in helped her hold her tongue.

She watched him fix her a bowl of white rice with fish and place it on the table for her along with a glass of water. He looked up at her expectantly which was her cue to push off the wall and start eating. She did this silently. First she gulped down the water which he refilled immediately and then she started eating. While she ate, Kyston moved around the table to resume his seat but he didn't pick up his teacup.

"I know you must be angry that we didn't go after Kinto." He was watching her so she didn't roll her eyes in annoyance. "But I didn't expect there to be so many casualties."

Sakura shoved rice into her mouth to keep from looking up at him. She didn't want him to see how blurry her eyes were.

He continued when she didn't react, "Galen's in the hospital. We wanted to wait for him to get better before we made any decision."

Sakura nearly choked in her relief. She looked up at Kyston as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I thought he..I thought..." She closed her eyes, not able to say it.

"I know. For a moment, he almost did. But he's tough. Rene's waiting until _after_ he's better to pummel him to death; he found out about Galen and Riina."

Sakura's head shot up, "Rene's here too?"

Kyston nodded and a second passed before they both broke out into laughter.

"I can't wait to see him try to protect his sister's nonexistent virtue." Sakura laughed again at the thought.

Kyston was grinning now and the mood seemed lighter. They fell into silence again as Sakura resumed eating and Kyston resumed watching her. They both were avoiding the one topic Sakura couldn't handle to think about.

Once Sakura was finished eating, Kyston whisked away her dishes and washed them, leaving them to dry on the counter. Then Kyston spun around to lean on the counter with a teasing grin on his face.

"Alright, now I think you should go take a bath. You haven't had one in two days."

Sakura would have laughed and maybe punched him too, but decided to ask the one question that had been bothering her since she had regained consciousness. "What are they going to do with Xanthus?"

Kyston's grin fell off his face and he looked down.

"Kyston, please..I need to know. What are they going to do to my son?" Her voice choked up at the end and she clutched at her chest, swallowing hard so the tears wouldn't resurface.

When she opened her eyes she watched as Kyston pushed off the counter to come crouch in front of Sakura. He looked up into her face before raising his hand to brush a stray tear she hadn't realized was there from her cheek.

"Sakura, they're not going to kill Xanthus." He frowned at the relief that shimmered in her green orbs, "That doesn't mean he's safe."

Kyston felt like shit as he watched the relief in her eyes shatter at his words. He stood from his crouching position so he could take a seat on the chair next to her's.

"You know that Galen's mission was to get you and Xanthus safely away from Saarik and back to Konoha. Right?" At her slight nod he continued, "What do you think Rene's and my mission was?" He didn't expect her to know so he didn't wait for an answer, "We were supposed to protect Azryal." He clenched his teeth at the thought of his next words and what her reaction would be, "We failed."

Sakura's eyes widened and she stared at Kyston, wishing him to say he was joking but no such words filled the silence around them. She was surprised at the lack of emotion she was feeling at the news; she always thought she would break down and drown in her own tears when this day came but all she felt was absolutely nothing. She was numb, she was in shock. She could picture herself slicing her veins open with a blank expression on her face, letting her life seep out of her so she could join the love of her life in death. Her family was slowly breaking apart, her life falling in pieces around her. And she was helpless to stop it.

Before Kyston could finish what he was meaning to say he noticed Sakura completely shut down. A surge of panic flowed forth at his implication and he nearly bit his tongue off in his attempt to right his mistake, "Sakura! I didn't mean he's dead!"

Like a pin striking a balloon, Sakura popped out of her daze after she registered what Kyston said. Then, like if her mind was making up for the lack of emotion a moment before, a wave of emotions came down upon her like a tsunami consuming a tiny island. Anger flooded her senses as she shot to her feet with her fist raised.

"What the _fuck_ Kyston! Tell me now why I shouldn't kill you right here for putting me through that? After all the shit I have to deal with you pull that! What the fuck is wrong with you?" She shrieked before she smashed her fist into his arm, her newly renewed chakra pumping up the force of it.

Kyston yelped and nearly fell off his chair in an attempt to get away when she pulled her fist back for another punch.

"Sakura I'm sorry! You just didn't let me finish! Stop! Don't do it--OW! _Stop_! I'm sorry! _Shit_!" Kyston was sprawled on the floor, clutching the spot she had just hit twice, his eyebrows crunched together in a mixture of pain and anger. "I'm trying to be serious, Sakura!"

"Then stop implying people are dying, dammit!" Sakura yelled before plopping down on her chair again.

Kyston growled 'fuck' as he got to his feet and took the seat across from Sakura to keep some distance between them. "Are you ready to be mature now?"

"Shut up and just tell me what happened."

"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."

"Just talk, asshole!"

"How about you shut up and I'll talk. Okay? Good." Kyston cleared his throat, pretending he didn't notice Sakura glaring daggers at him, "So, yeah, we failed at protecting Azryal _because_ there were a lot more mages than we expected Radek to have gotten to follow him. They took over Saarik about three days after you had left with Galen and everyone. Not very long after they had the city under their control, they infiltrated the palace and Azryal forced Rene and myself to take a secret passage to escape. He gave us our mission before, which was to keep an eye on what Kinto was doing and if they made any move to leave Saarik in search of you or Xanthus, we were to stop them at any cost. So we had to watch while Kinto subdued our Emperor's magick again by handcuffing his hands with these cowardly cuffs that were designed to suppress magick and then throwing him into an isolated cell. Then after a little while that fucker Radek shows up, clogs up his magick streams again and then he beats the shit out of Azryal. They were starving him and beating him daily before so it wasn't that hard and it didn't take very long either for Azryal to be bloodied up. Well, what I'm about to tell you next...shit, you know about the prophecy right?"

"What prophecy?" Sakura asked quietly. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of her husband, the beautiful and strong Emperor Azryal being starved and beaten like a worthless animal by a monster who killed innocent people and caused havoc just so he could get revenge on a man who didn't even deserve it.

"The prophecy is the passage you say when you want to enter Saarik through Saalihl."

And before she even knew what she was doing, the prophecy was spilling from her lips, memorized since the young age of sixteen, "To the far east you will find a city engulfed in magick. Warriors who wield swords colored in the tints of their enchanted blood. An exotic land where the sands meet paradise. A cliff where a palace is cradled, lies an emperor with powers as plentiful as the sea. There you will find a crystal capable of taming any such beast; years will pass before a man is borne with power enough to free that of blood as red as his own. Then peace will cast its magic over the lands of Saarik, and the rivers will run true once again."

"Yeah, that prophecy. Have you ever really listened to what the prophecy says? It describes Saarik and one of its emperors; Azryal." Kyston explained.

"But the old scholars said that this prophecy has been around since the very beginning; 'the day Saarik was born was the day this prophecy came to be.' That's what the scholars always say. How can this be about Azryal who wasn't born until thousands of years later?" Sakura asked, skeptical and a little awed.

Kyston grinned, "That's the magic of it."

Sakura smiled. "Alright, explain it then."

"Okay. But first, here's a bit of history; the palace is almost as old as the very mountain it sits on. At the very top of the mountain there is a landing that no one knows how to reach. It's said that on that landing is an old crystal filled with magic so strong it could absorb any type of magic, even the type that flows through our bodies. No one has ever laid eyes on this crystal except for maybe the people who built the palace. But the palace was built by the founders of Saarik. There was one woman who was special, that when she touched the crystal with her bare hand, the crystal channeled some of its power into her and she became the Mother of Saarik; the first person to wield magick. But along with the magick, came the prophecy that spilled forth from the chosen woman's lips and it was inscribed into a tablet and mounted where everyone could see it so it would never be forgotten. That woman's name was Rhiannon, and she was the only one who could channel the crystal's power. So we all believe that whoever has the gift of magick is descended from Rhiannon, so in some way we are all related. That is Saarik's history. Now, back to Azryal; what that fucker Radek discovered was how to find a way to that landing. I don't know how he did it, but he muttered some long, complicated spell in front of a rock wall behind the palace in a secluded area in the gardens and then the fucking wall slides out of the way to reveal a path. Rene and I follow them, thank god Rene is a fucking genius in stealth spells otherwise we would have been captured in half ah second. So, Radek and his little crony Kinto drag our Emperor through that narrow pathway for what seems like hours. Azryal is all bloodied and half-dead by the time they finally reach the landing."

Sakura watched as Kyston gathered a breath, like if he was trying to keep himself under control.

"The first thing you notice is the crystal. It's _huge_ and it's shining like if it wasn't thousands of years old. It looks like it's been shined every day, that's how clean it was. I mean, it was out in the freaking elements and it didn't look dusty or dirty at all! Radek had Kinto shove Azryal to the ground in front of the crystal and then Radek starts chanting another spell. The air suddenly gets heavy with magick and all of a sudden Azryal is standing up with his arm outstretched but the freaky thing is that Radek was mimiking his movements. Then we realize that the sick fuck is using a puppeteer spell to control Azryal. Rene wanted to punch the shit out of him but I knew that Radek wouldn't even need to flick his pinky to kill us at that moment. So I got Rene under control just before Radek forces Azryal to press his hand against the crystal, just like Rhiannon must have done it. Then not a second later we're almost blown off the landing, that's how strong and fast the crystal came alive with its magick beating through us like a second heartbeat. Then Radek collapses but Azryal doesn't. Then I see the area where Azryal's hand is touching the crystal is fucking _glowing_! All of a sudden a bright light blinds us and I think it knocked everyone out for a few minutes. I was the first to wake up and I had to practically pound Rene to wake him up because our stealth spell ceased to work when Rene became unconscious. Just when he got it working again, Radek and Kinto wake up. Then we all notice at the same time what's new with the crystal..." Kyston trailed off, his eyes distant and dark with sadness.

"What? What happened?" Sakura practically whispered.

Kyston seemed to come back to himself and he looked at Sakura before taking a deep breath, "Azryal is _inside_ the crystal. He's suspended inside the crystal with his hair around him like if he's underwater. His eyes are closed and all his wounds are gone but he looks frozen. Radek starts laughing hysterically and Kinto takes a while to get him to explain himself. He says Azryal is the emperor from the prophecy and that they needed to get his son because he would be the only one able to free Azryal like the prophecy said."

Sakura sat there, unable to register what Kyston was saying, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember from the prophecy? '_Years will pass before a man is borne with power enough to free that of blood as red as his own._' It's talking about Xanthus. 'Blood as red as his own' means the same blood as him, such as his father's blood. Only Xanthus can save Azryal and now he's at the mercy of the very man whom he must save his father _from_."

"What will they do with him?" Sakura asked quickly.

Kyston stared at Sakura for a long while before finally deciding to tell her, "Radek is planning on making Xanthus his follower. He thinks since he's so young it will be easy to corrupt his mind. He doesn't think it wise to waste that much power by killing him."

"What power? Xanthus...?" Sakura's brows creased in confusion.

"Yes, Xanthus. He's the only one who has ever lived that is strong enough to counter the crystal's magick and actually be able to control it to release Azryal. Well, at least that's what the prophecy implies." Kyston explained.

Sakura took a deep breath, trying to come to terms with everything Kyston was revealing to her, "Then why did Kinto tell me to come after them? They want me to follow them to Saarik."

Kyston shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Sakura's eyes narrowed when he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Kyston, stop acting like a little wuss and tell me what they want with me." Sakura ground out.

Kyston focused his stare on the table before answering in a soft voice, "Well, we heard Radek tell Kinto he planned to, ah, make you his um, queen..."

Sakura sat staring at Kyston in silence, "What?"

"The arrogant asshole thinks it would be too funny to make the woman Azryal loves into his queen. He plans to have the ceremony on the landing in front of Azryal." Kyston mumbled.

"And why the hell would he think I would agree to that?" Sakura was surprised at how calmly she was taking this.

Kyston finally met her eyes, "Radek is a master of manipulation. He'd just have to use one of his spells to control you into agreeing with him and maybe bind you to him so you would have no escape. You would have no control of your own mind with him around."

Kyston watched the color drain from Sakura's face and felt like shit for not being able to assure her that nothing would happen to her. He would be lying if he said he could stand a chance against a mage as powerful as Radek.

Sakura took a deep breath, filing her panic away for later, "So, what's going to happen when we return to Saarik? How can I protect myself against him?"

Kyston looked uncomfortable again, "Um, you won't be returning to Saarik. We think you and Riina will be safer here in Konoha. I'm sorry."

Kyston flinched when Sakura shot up from her seat in another rage.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Kyston? I'm going no matter what! They took my son, they fucking tortured my husband! If you don't let me go with you guys then too bad, I'll find my way there on my own. You can't keep me here all tucked away and safe from those psychotic bastards! I want my piece of revenge, dammit!" Sakura was yelling by the time she finished her rant and she was pounding on the table with each end to a sentence.

"Sakura, we'll talk about this later when everyone is here, okay?" Kyston looked a bit nervous so Sakura heaved another sigh and plopped down onto her chair again.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, a thought popped up in Sakura's head. "Hey, Kyston," She suppressed a smirk when he jerked at her voice, "why did it take you so long to get here if you were following Kinto? They were here for a while before you finally showed up."

Kyston's nervousness made way for annoyance at the new subject, "Yeah, we had to dispose of some small-fry Kinto brought with him. They were more of a nuisance than a real threat. They wouldn't let us pass them and we couldn't just leave them alive so we had to use up a little more time than we had hoped to get rid of them. And then it took me a while to figure out you were in a barrier. I heard that Tiek guy mention that his barrier wouldn't hold up for much longer and then I noticed it immediately. Rene doesn't know shit about barriers so I sent him to help out Galen. I wish Kinto hadn't run away; I wanted to beat the shit out of him until I felt better. Damn."

Sakura smiled at Kyston's last words before shaking her head.

"So what now?" She asked.

"Go change so we can visit Galen. Riina is with him so Rene's probably there too."

Sakura nodded before heading off to her room to change into a simple forest green sundress. She noticed it was the same color as Galen's hair so she decided it was in honor of him.

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**Okay, I was going to go on but I was losing momentum so I thought I would just let you guys have this bit until I get the next chapter out. Sorry about the unbelievable gaps between updates; I just seriously didn't know how to put my thoughts down. I hope I can get the next chappie out to you guys soon. Stick in there!**

**REVIEW! It was all thanks to _one_ review that I got a few days ago that my inspiration burst forth to battle off that damn writer's block so REVIEW~!!! lol!  
**

**~yuru3  
**


	14. Up Against the Wall

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto but everything related to Saarik I DO own.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Chapter Fourteen  
**_Up Against the Wall_

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"Will you leave me alone now?"

"But Kaka-sensei, we just got here!"

"Naruto, you've been here for _three_ hours! I need to sleep!"

"But Kakashi-kun, we were worried about you!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Sayuri's girlish whine. "I'm flattered. Can you leave now?"

The whining began again and Kakashi glared at them before turning his glare to the silent Uchiha near the door, hoping for an ally but Sasuke only smirked.

Kakashi grunted something under his breath before sagging against his pillow and closing his eyes.

Naruto and Sayuri immediately started chattering across him about absolutely nothing and everything.

Kakashi was lying in a hospital bed, his abdomen and chest bandaged up. Naruto was propped on the bed that was beside Kakashi's, a bedside table separating the two. The lavender haired kunoichi, Sayuri, was perched delicately on the side of Kakashi's bed, dressed in another revealing mini-skirt.

A half hour passed by when Sasuke tensed at a familiar presence nearing the door. Naruto and Sayuri stopped talking instantly and turned to stare at the door, feeling someone hesitate just outside before the door slid open slowly to reveal Sakura.

She looked nervous but she still strode into the room with confidence. Sasuke stared at her stoically while Sayuri glared viciously. Naruto hopped off the bed that was next to Kakashi's and rushed to Sakura to give her an excited hug.

"Sakura-chan! I haven't seen you since we got back!"

"Yeah, I guess we've both been busy." Sakura smiled slightly before walking to the side of Kakashi's bed. Sakura paid no attention to Sayuri who was glaring with pure hostility. She pulled Kakashi into a hug but moved back at his grunt of pain before staring at him seriously.

Sakura frowned as she remembered the fight that occurred when the mages invaded Konoha. If she recalled correctly, Kakashi was with Tsunade when she had spotted them with Riina. She was sure that whoever was with the Hokage would be safe from the mages but once again, she was proven wrong.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If I had known, I would never have returned to Konoha. It's all my fault you're hurt." Sakura said, her tone laced in regret as she sat in the chair that was near the bed.

"Sakura, please don't start apologizing. It's not your fault and I know you would have tried your best to prevent this if you could. Please don't feel bad for me." Kakashi smiled through his mask.

"What are you saying Kakashi-kun? Where was she when those freaks invaded the village and murdered everyone? Was she hiding while they slaughtered half the people who were there?" Sayuri snapped angrily, standing suddenly and moving to the other side of the bed, making it blatantly obvious she didn't want to be near Sakura.

"Sayuri." Kakashi reprimanded softly. He was staring at Sakura.

Sakura's face clouded in pain, "I'm sorry this happened. I-"

"You apologizing now doesn't bring back all those innocent lives! Why didn't you just leave so they don't come back looking for you? Save us all the trouble."

"Sayuri! That's enough." Kakashi turned a stern glare on Sayuri. Naruto laid a restraining hand on her shoulder and her face crumpled like a scolded child. Sasuke remained silent by the door, his gaze never leaving Sakura's form.

"I know it's my fault that they came here, no matter what you say, Kakashi." Sakura smiled at Kakashi as he looked ready to object, "But they won't be returning, so you don't have to worry. And as soon as Galen's healed we'll be out of your hair. Got it?" Sakura glared at Sayuri before standing. "Anyway, I just came to see you when I heard you were injured during the fight. Galen's room is just down the hall, so I'll stop by later when I get the time again." Sakura said to Kakashi before turning to leave. "Nice seeing you, Naruto." She smiled at the blonde who just watched her uncertainly.

She stopped suddenly when a pair of loud voices floated into the room through the slightly ajar door.

"Rene, just shut the fuck up. Sakura should be around here and she'll be pissed if she hears you whining about Riina and Galen again. Especially with her being so stressed."

"But _fuck_ Kyston! Riina and fucking _Galen_! I can't even be in the same room with the two of them anymore! He was sent here to protect them, not _bed _them!"

"What 'them'? It's only Riina he's _bedding_." You could hear the laughter in his voice and Sakura tensed, waiting for Rene to explode. Instead she heard a loud thud and then Kyston yelling.

"What the hell?" Naruto mumbled.

Before any of them could move to the door, Sakura was already yanking the door open to see Kyston holding his bruised cheek while his other fist was curled in Rene's shirt while he shook him violently, yelling loudly about whether he should beat Rene up for being a pansy.

"Would you guys shut the _hell_ up?" Sakura nearly screeched. "This is where I fucking _work_! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kyston let go of Rene like if he was burnt upon hearing Sakura's angry tone and Rene fell to the floor before shooting back to his feet to glare at Kyston.

By then Sasuke, Sayuri, and Naruto had gathered near the opening to Kakashi's room in curiosity and annoyance.

"Great, more freaks." Sayuri grumbled rudely, though it didn't stop her from checking out the two gorgeous men in front of her.

Kyston straightened at the sight of the strangers but didn't remove his hand from his cheek.

Rene turned to glare at Sakura which surprised her because she had never been on the receiving end of Rene's rare ill-temper before.

"How could you let this happen, Sakura? And don't try to act innocent, I know you knew what was going on." Rene accused, completely ignoring the strangers.

Sakura sighed, her shoulders slumping, "Rene, how many times can I tell you? They're in love, I couldn't stop it from happening even if I had wanted to." Which was a complete lie seeing as how she was the one who had pushed Riina to act.

Rene was about to open his mouth to argue but Kyston cut him off, "Shut it, Rene. Sakura has enough to worry about rather than you fretting over Riina and making her feel guilty."

Rene's expression immediately changed to sadness as he looked at Sakura's shadowed face which caused the trio near the door to become curious.

"What's he talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice steady and serious as he pushed past Sayuri and Sasuke to stand near Sakura.

Sakura debated whether she should pretend to misunderstand him by explaining the whole Riina and Galen situation instead of revealing that her son had been kidnapped by a group of sadistic, power-hungry mages but she decided against it. Instead she shook her head which made Naruto even more curious and worried.

Naruto watched her move towards the blue-haired man before she pulled his hand away from his cheek. Everyone watched as a soft green glow alighted beneath Sakura's palm as she pressed it to Kyston's cheek. She kept it there for a minute before removing her palm to reveal Kyston's unblemished, smooth cheek where a bruise should have been.

Sayuri had watched as the blue-haired man's eyes had softened when Sakura had moved towards him and she wondered if this was Sakura's kid's father. She had to say he was absolutely gorgeous, up there with Sasuke. But he lost points due to his obvious attraction to the pink-haired bitch.

"Thanks." Kyston said before motioning that they go back to Galen's room.

Sakura nodded before turning to face Naruto. "I'll talk to you later, okay Naruto? Come on Rene." Sakura followed Kyston to Galen's room and Rene glumly pushed off the wall to stalk after them.

"Who were _they_?" Sayuri wondered out loud after they were alone in the hall.

No one said anything; Naruto was still staring at the closed door Sakura had disappeared in and Sasuke was silent as ever. Sayuri huffed in annoyance before heading back into Kakashi's room to discover the old jounin snoring, obviously pretending to be asleep with the latest _Icha Icha_ lying open on his chest.

* * *

"How long do you think it will take for him to recover?" Riina asked for the tenth time since Sakura had returned to the room.

"I don't know, Riina. What did his Healer say?" Sakura ground out.

"She said about a week!" Riina whined.

"What?" Kyston straightened in his seat by the door. "We can't wait a week! Sakura, can't you try to do anything?"

Sakura sighed before nodding and perching on the side of Galen's bed. He was pale and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead which Riina was diligently wiping away, much to Rene's chagrin. Rene was leaning on the wall near the window, glaring daggers at his sister who ignored him easily.

Sakura gathered chakra to her hands, a deep green glow alighting around her fingers as she pressed them to Galen's chest. She closed her eyes and felt her chakra seep into his body heading straight for his injured areas. He had a few broken ribs which the Healer had fixed, she felt the newly attached bone and felt the mended tissue and muscle. There were numerous burns from the mage's electricity and Sakura was surprised to see that some of his internal organs were scorched a bit. The mage Tiek had managed to strike electricity right into Galen's body. She quickly assessed the damage and saw that the Healer had tried to fix the burns but didn't know how to do it effectively. Sakura gathered some more chakra around the burnt areas and started to heal it slowly. Almost an hour had passed before she could do a final once over of Galen's injuries and feel satisfied that he would heal normally.

Sakura finally focused on the room around her and the green glow disappeared from her hands. She was sweating slightly and she felt a little tired but she faced the others in the room who had been waiting anxiously.

"Okay, I managed to heal what the Healer couldn't and Galen seems fine now. It's just that he may have to take a couple of days, maybe three or four, to completely heal. He's still tender and sore and I wouldn't like him running into a fight because he could seriously damage something that way." Sakura stated.

"Even that is too long to wait." Kyston muttered.

"I'll be fine, Sakura. I can move just fine." Galen assured her, finally opening his eyes and causing Riina to fuss over him. He tried to sit up but Riina put a worried hand on his shoulder and Sakura shook her head.

"Galen, I'm serious. You can't exert yourself. That mage's electricity caused direct damage to your organs. I can't risk anything happening. You'll have to remain in bed for a few more days." Sakura sternly said as she pushed him back onto the bed.

Galen's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and he opened his mouth to argue but Kyston cut him off.

"Galen, you're going to stay here. We'll go on ahead of you and you're just going to have to catch up once you're fully healed. I'm sorry, but we can't wait here for four days."

Galen didn't argue but he laid there, glaring at the ceiling.

"So when do we leave?" Rene asked, finally breaking his silence.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll head out in a little bit to pack." Sakura said.

Kyston and Rene stared at Sakura for what seemed like a minute.

"What?" Sakura bit out in annoyance.

"Sakura, we went through this already. You aren't going. It's too dangerous, especially since we know Radek has his eyes set on you." Kyston stated firmly. The room tensed in anticipation of Sakura's anger.

"I know we went through this and I thought you understood that no matter what you say or do, I'm going. Even if I have to go by myself. I'm not going to sit here and tear my mind apart worrying over what's happening in Saarik because you're too scared of what Radek will do to me! I want my son and I will not fail in getting him back." Sakura nearly shouted in the end and Kyston flinched.

"Kyston, just let her come. It's better she come with us than us having to worry about whether or not she'll try to leave on her own and run into a group of mages by herself." Rene reasoned and Sakura nodded her head in agreement.

Before Kyston could respond the door flew open and Tsunade came striding in closely followed by Shizune and surprisingly Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri.

"What are they doing in here?" Sakura asked, motioning towards Naruto and his teammates.

Tsunade glanced behind her and sighed in annoyance, "They caught me in the hall and Naruto insisted he come with me when he found out I was heading to meet with you."

Naruto looked a bit sheepish while Sayuri and Sasuke just glared in silence.

"What did you need to meet with me for?" Sakura asked in curiosity.

"We have bad news. Remember the shinobi I had sent out last month to find out more about Akatsuki and to see if they were involved with the mages?" At Sakura's nod, Tsunade continued, "Well, I had sent out nine groups of seven and only one group returned with only three members alive. And that's not the worst of it. They said they were attacked by Akatsuki and guess who was with them? Strange men with unidentifiable powers. They didn't have chakra but they were able to do things only someone with chakra powers could do."

Everyone in the room remained silent at the dire news Tsunade brought.

Sakura was the first to break the silence, "So it's been confirmed: Akatsuki did team up with Radek and his mages. This is worst than I could have imagined. What are you planning to do, Tsunade-sensei?"

"Well, I'm in a very bad position. I've already sent word to Suna. It's not just your battle anymore, Sakura. Now the shinobi are involved, from the very moment they invaded Konoha and killed our people. A war is brewing and we need to get rid of Akatsuki once and for all. When will you be leaving for Saarik?"

"Tomorrow morning." Sakura replied firmly, glancing at Kyston smugly.

Kyston shook his head slightly but didn't say anything.

"I'll be sending a group of shinobi with you."

"_What_?" Sakura asked in alarm. Kyston had straightened in his seat and he shot a sharp look in Sakura's direction.

"It's like I said, it's not just your war anymore. Konoha is involved now."

"But you can't send any shinobi with us, it's too dangerous for them." Sakura tried to explain calmly.

"What? So you're saying you're stronger than the rest of us? Have you forgotten what you are?" Sasuke's dark voice sounded from his position by the door.

Sakura glared in his direction. "No. I'm saying you guys don't know what you're dealing with. Why do you think so many ANBU and Jounin died in that battle? Because chakra doesn't do shit against magick. You'll just be sending them to their deaths, sensei!" Sakura finished, staring hard at Tsunade.

Naruto and Sayuri were about to open their mouth to argue but were cut off when Kyston stood up. "Sakura, wait a minute. Just think, not all of Radek's men are mages. A large percentage of his followers are regular men from different villages. Us three are the only mages who are not confined somewhere, whether it be in a cell or in a village somewhere. Azryal tried to fight them off and a lot of our men were killed or arrested. The rest were dispersed among the numerous cities and villages around Saarik. We need the manpower, I don't think we should brush off any help your friends are willing to give."

Sakura stared at him, wanting to argue against it but not able to deny the truth of his words. "You're right." She sat down and pressed a glowing finger to her forehead to subdue the growing ache between her eyes.

"Alright, it's settled then. Before tomorrow morning come to my office and we'll discuss who will be going with you to Saarik." Tsunade finished before turning to leave. Naruto practically pushed past Shizune in his haste to follow the Hokage. Sasuke and Sayuri left without a word, the door swinging shut behind them.

"Sakura, I know you're worried these shinobi will die but it won't be your fault. We need their help." Kyston tried to reason.

"It is my fault. If I hadn't returned to Konoha none of this would have happened."

"Sakura, now isn't the time to get depressed. If you're feeling this way, maybe it is better you stay. We can't afford any risks. We can only afford strength, alright?" Kyston stated harshly.

Sakura looked up in surprise and Riina glared at him.

"That was mean, Kyston." Riina snapped.

"But it's true, Riina. We need to focus and be strong. These mages won't hesitate to kill and we can't refuse any help we can get." Rene interrupted.

Riina opened her mouth to argue but Sakura stood up so suddenly that Riina's mouth snapped shut. "You're right. I'm going to meet with Tsunade-sensei and then I'm heading back to the house to pack. I'll meet you guys there later tonight." And without another word Sakura left.

She didn't notice Kyston's slight smirk or Rene's grin. Galen just shook his head while Riina asked what they were so happy about.

* * *

Sakura marched into Tsunade's office without knocking and wasn't surprised to see Naruto already there.

"Sakura, perfect timing. These are the shinobi who volunteered to leave with you on such short notice." Tsunade said from behind her desk. Her smile was strained as if she was awaiting Sakura's adamant objections.

Sakura stared before replying, "Sasuke and Sayuri _volunteered_ to go with me?"

Tsunade had the courtesy to look sheepish, "Well, Naruto and I had to persuade them just a little."

"I don't want to bring any shinobi who were forced to go." Sakura stated firmly.

"It's not for you to decide. I'm Hokage and I'm giving them a mission. So these are the shinobi who will be going with you."

Sakura contemplated arguing but decided against it. Tsunade was right; she didn't have any right to be picky on who would help them. "Just these three?"

"Yes. For now. I'll be sending more later. I thought it wouldn't be wise to send a lot with you at once. It would draw too much attention. Especially as the first batch."

"That's good. Galen will be leaving in a few days so you can send another group with him."

After they went over the finer details of the mission, Sakura told them they would meet at the Gates of Konoha at five in the morning. Then she excused herself and headed to the Uchiha district.

After packing she got tired of waiting and returned to the hospital where everyone was still waiting with Galen. They spent a couple more hours in the room with Galen before leaving around midnight to get in a couple of hours of sleep at the house.

Morning came all too quick. Sakura, Kyston, and Rene said their goodbyes to Riina and Galen at the hospital and headed to the gates. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri were already waiting for them. Without a word they passed through the gates and faced East, towards Saarik.

It was nearly nightfall when Kyston finally declared that they stop for the night. They had only been taking ten-minute breaks every four hours of running so no one complained, all too happy to set up camp.

Sakura, Kyston, and Galen were sitting around the campfire in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri were sitting a little ways away from the previous three, near a batch of bushes.

Naruto was the closest to Sakura and he was staring at her. She was staring into the fire, her eyes glazed over, her mind in another place and time.

"You haven't said much since the battle, Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered, causing her to come back to herself.

She turned to look at Naruto, her face a mask of composure before replying calmly, "I've just had a lot on my mind."

"What's wrong?" Naruto prodded.

Sakura stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him.

"Naruto, come over here for a minute." Sasuke called from a few feet away.

"Oi, I'm talkin' to Sakura-chan."

"Baka. Just get over here."

Naruto glared before slumping over to where Sasuke was seated.

"What?"

"Haven't you noticed anything missing?" Sasuke asked casually.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed that a little annoying brat has been missing from Sakura's presence ever since the battle?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Naruto's face paled and he quickly looked over at Sakura then back to Sasuke. "I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I didn't notice. No wonder she's been so down. You think he was killed during the battle?"

"No, I think he was taken. So shut up and stop asking her what's wrong." Sasuke bit out.

"Why do you even care, Sasuke-kun?" Sayuri asked suspiciously.

Sasuke gave her a droll stare before turning his face away, blatantly ignoring her.

"Sakura,"

The trio by the bushes all looked over at Kyston as he addressed Sakura.

"Hm?"

"Don't you think you should give the shinobi a little lesson on magick and chakra so they'll have a little knowledge about what they're going into?"

"No." Sakura answered bluntly.

"Sakura." Kyston reprimanded softly.

Sakura heaved a sigh before getting to her feet, "I know, I know." She made her way over to the small group and sat down abruptly.

Sayuri glared harshly at her but Sakura barely took notice.

"Okay, so I'm going to tell you how chakra effects magick. In a nutshell, chakra has absolutely _no_ effect on magick."

Naruto's jaw dropped and Sasuke stiffened while Sayuri scoffed.

"W-What the hell is that supposed to mean!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It means no matter how many tricks you try to pull with chakra, it will be nothing compared to what a mage can do with magick."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Naruto asked, his surprise turning to determination.

"Basically, when you see a guy wielding magick, run like hell. If you have absolutely no choice at all, you're going to do what I do but it will be your _last_ resort because it will use up all or most of your chakra reserves. You know how I gather chakra to my hands to heal?" At Naruto's nod Sakura continued, "Well, you can use the same technique against magick. If you gather enough chakra to one spot and force it into a mage then you can do some damage. A little bit of chakra has no effect while a whole lot of chakra can deal some serious damage but at a great cost. Naruto, you would probably have a greater advantage than us since you have back up chakra from the Kyuubi."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to tap into that unless there was no other choice. He can be a little, uh, overwhelming." Naruto finished nervously.

Sasuke scoffed at his choice of words.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you won't hesitate if you're cornered by a mage or two. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but if it does, I just want you guys to know what your options are."

"What, die now or die later?" Sayuri snapped from her corner.

Sakura turned emotionless eyes onto the other girl, "I think by being a shinobi you should be used to that philosophy." And then she got to her feet and went back to sit with Rene and Kyston.

It took them a very short time to reach Suna. They met with Gaara to go over what Tsunade had informed him of. He said he had already sent a few groups of shinobi to scout out the area and the villages. Kyston was upset with that news and Sakura had no words of assurance that the shinobi would be fine. They restocked their supplies and headed out that same night, getting closer and closer to paradise.

When their feet finally scuffed soft dirt and the faint sound of rushing water sounded in their ears barely a week had passed since they left Konoha.

Sakura was physically exhausted from their unyielding speed for the past couple of days but her mind was reeling with anxiousness. After re-hydrating themselves at the nearest stream, they followed Kyston and Rene to the first village.

They sat around in the brush, just observing. The village was small and seemed deserted.

"Can you feel anything?" Sakura whispered to Kyston and Rene.

Sakura and the other shinobi were masking their chakra in case any Akatsuki were around although they couldn't feel anyone nearby.

"No, not even regular people. Do you feel any shinobi?" Kyston whispered back.

"No."

Kyston gave her a curt nod before heading back into the forest.

"Wait, why don't we go into the village if you don't feel anything?" Sayuri stumbled after them, glancing at the deserted huts.

"We have no need to go into the village if no one's there. We have enough supplies. All we'll find are decaying bodies and deserted homes. Lets move on." Kyston stated firmly as he brushed a gigantic leaf from his path.

Sakura glanced at Sayuri before following after Rene. She looked pissed at being dismissed so easily.

"Don't do anything rash, Sayuri. Come on." Sasuke said quietly, urging Sayuri forward.

They found four other villages in the same state as the first one before they finally came upon one that seemed to have a bit of life in it. It was far from Saarik; Kyston made it clear that they will be steering clear of Saalihl and Saarik until they had fully assessed what was going on around them.

This village didn't have any mages stationed in it but there were numerous men who seemed to be in charge and who Kyston had no doubt were Radek's magickless men.

"How many men do you think are here?" Rene asked.

"I can sense about twenty." Kyston replied.

"Wait, Kyston, if we get rid of these guys, don't you think it would alert Radek?" Sakura asked slowly.

"Yes. That's why we're not going to do anything. We're just simply scouting out all the surrounding villages since it would take too long to reach the city. I want to know if Radek is keeping all his mages in Saarik. If that's so, then you guys won't be coming with Rene and myself to Saarik. You'll stay out here and dispose of these men." Kyston explained.

Sakura didn't argue, she would follow him for now, but there was no way she wasn't going back into Saarik. After all, that's where her son and husband were.

It took them two days to scout out the five surrounding villages minus the four deserted ones in the beginning. Out of the five, three were deserted while the two bigger villages were crawling with Radek's men.

"They must have moved the other villagers to the bigger villages to keep them together." Kyston mused out loud.

"So what are we going to do?" Naruto asked, restless with the constant sneaking around.

"Seeing as how there are no mages in these two villages, I'm right to think that they are all in Saalihl and Saarik. So Rene and I will go to Saarik while the rest of you stay here."

"And do what, exactly?" Sayuri snipped impatiently.

"Like I said before; dispose of these men. Quietly so as not to draw attention from the other village." Kyston stated firmly.

Naruto's eyes brightened in excitement of an oncoming fight.

"I'm going with you." Sakura said quietly to Kyston.

Kyston glared at her hard, "No. It's too dangerous. You won't be able to protect yourself against the mages." When Sakura opened her mouth to argue, a determined glint in her eyes, Kyston cut her off, "Sakura, there's no arguing this. I can't risk you getting caught or killed. You're staying here with the shinobi and that's final. Got it?"

Sakura just glared in reply, a treacherous glint in her emerald eyes.

With a few final words Kyston and Rene left, their direction towards Saalihl. The four shinobi sat in silence for a few minutes before Naruto broke the silence.

"So should we start disposing of the evil men?"

"We should start with the other village first; it had less men and was smaller. It would be easier to keep them from getting into contact with this village." Sasuke said, Sayuri nodding her head in agreement.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to check something out." Sakura said nonchalantly.

Naruto looked at her sharply, "Sakura, you heard him. It's too dangerous. Just stay with us."

"Naruto, you don't understand. My entire family is in Saarik. My child and my husband and all my friends. They're suffering and dying and I refuse to hide from the ones causing it. You can't stop me so don't even try." Sakura said, her eyes glassy and full of emotion, mostly anger.

For the first time since she met the pink-haired shinobi, Sayuri felt sympathy for her. Before Naruto could argue, Sayuri cut him off, "Naruto, let her go."

Naruto and Sakura both gawked at her words which weren't dripping with contempt or malice, but were soft and understanding. Sayuri didn't look at Sakura, but she stared long and hard at Naruto, pleading for him to not fight this. He finally succumbed to her and nodded his head reluctantly.

Sakura smiled slightly at the other girl who flushed in embarrassment, "Thank you."

Sayuri debated saying something nasty to redeem herself but refrained. She just nodded her head slightly and turned towards the village.

With a whispered "Be careful" Sakura was pelting through the trees and brush, heading for Adalrich.

Sasuke smiled at Sayuri, really smiled and she blushed deeply as he moved towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips. Naruto blushed too before stating loudly that they should get a move on.

It took Sakura an entire day to finally find Adalrich. She had debated on coming too close to the village in case mages were still there but risked it and found it empty. The small mountain village was completely deserted and almost unrecognizable. The numerous small huts that had once stood there were burnt to the ground and the natural hot springs were stuffed up with broken trees and wood from the huts. Sakura's heart clenched at the dark sight but refused to let it affect her.

She followed a fading path to a rock wall near the mountainside. It took her about two hours to finally find the rocks she needed to push in to open the path. She had been pushing in random rocks until finally one actually moved. The rock wall groaned as it shook and moved inward to reveal the dark path that would lead her straight into the palace. Before entering, Sakura found a hefty tree branch and wrapped some brush and long leaves around it before lighting it afire with a simple jutsu.

Then she quickly entered the path, pushing in some rocks to close the entrance. A fleeting thought worried at her, that her jutsu may have attracted attention but she pushed the thought away. She started the long trek through the dank, smelly path. It took her only half a day running to reach the other end when it had taken them almost two days and a half the first time she had used the path with Galen and the others.

She found the rocks she needed to push in to open the path that would lead her into the dusty room with the table and fireplace. She stood in front of the wall for fifteen minutes, debating whether there would be anyone on the other side. The room was the lowest point in the palace, lower than the cells and food storages. There were other rooms on the same floor but they were similar to this one only they were full of random items like files and unused trinkets and furniture with the occasional empty room.

Sakura clenched her fist, finally making up her mind that she had no other choice but to go forward. She pushed in the rocks and immediately doused her torch on the sandy floor by stepping on it. The rock wall trembled in front of her before moving aside to reveal a dark, dusty, and very empty room. The same clunky table and stools were still there but there were no torches in the room, nor any windows so she didn't know what time it was.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before stepping into the room. The path behind her closed and she jumped slightly when it thudded shut. She stood in the dark room just listening to her surroundings. When she didn't hear anything, she moved quietly to the door and gently opened it. It squeaked loudly and she froze, listening but there was no movement in response to her presence.

The hall was completely dark as well and Sakura had to rack her memory to remember which way the stairs were. She decided to go left and quickly hit a dead end so she switched direction and not long after she felt a lighter bit of air to the side and her toes hit the bottom of a staircase. She took a deep breath before she started to tiptoe up the stairs. She didn't know what she would do if she ran into a mage, but her first priority was finding her son.

As she almost reached another landing she pulled a kunai from a pouch on her side and continued. This floor would be the cells and then the food storage and then the servants' quarters. She stopped immediately when she heard voices.

She didn't dare move, waiting for the voices to somehow reveal if the speakers were good or bad. After a few minutes passed a familiar feeling ran through Sakura at the sound of a certain voice.

Her heart pounded loudly against her chest as she quickly ascended the last few steps and rounded the corner to face the half-open door leading to the cells. She gently pushed the door open a little wider and a loud screech from the rusty hinges split the air and all talking ceased. Once her presence was noticed that familiar voice broke the silence.

"Your _Highness_?"

Sakura smiled, "Bryn."

Tears burned her eyes as she moved closer to see the noble and sometimes arrogant royal adviser behind bars, dressed in filthy rags and stinking of ill treatment.

"What are you doing here? Do you know what will happen once you're found? Leave the way you came this instant!" Bryn snapped, his voice husky and cracking.

"Bryn, you were always a fool. What makes you think I would just run away to save myself? They have Xanthus! I won't rest or hide until he's with me, safe and sound." Sakura stubbornly argued.

"You're the fool, Empress. What good would you do the young prince if you're dead or captured?" Bryn's eyes smoldered in anger and something else. Worry.

Sakura smiled again, "Bryn, I'm not leaving so you can either help me or shut up before I leave you here without another word."

Bryn immediately sagged against the bars of his cell. He shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid you'll have no other choice but to leave me here and be on your way. These cells are reinforced with magick and even if you were able to release us, it would be unwise to alert anyone of your presence by our empty cells."

Sakura's brows furrowed in concern and her heart constricted in sadness as she understood what Bryn was saying. "Then what can I do, Bryn? I can't just leave all of you here." Sakura stared at him and when he avoided her gaze she scanned the other cells. There were about ten cells on each side of the hall making twenty cells packed with starving prisoners. Not all could use magick but the ones that could had a band around their neck that she assumed kept their powers in check. Everyone was staring at her with such sorrowful and defeated expressions and Sakura almost succumbed to the hopelessness they exerted until Bryn broke the silence.

"Sakura," Sakura turned in surprise; it was the first time Bryn had used her name, "there might be a way you could succeed."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked cautiously.

"There is an ancient ability, that when one is slowly dying there is a chance for that person to pass on their powers to someone willing and strong." At Bryn's words a rush of murmuring went through the hall and Bryn had to hush them before they attracted any unwanted attention.

"Bryn, what are you implying?" Sakura asked again, already knowing where Bryn was going with his suggestion.

"I'm saying that I will give you my magick so you can survive this whole ordeal and save the prince." Bryn answered calmly and slowly like he was speaking to a child.

"And what will happen then? To you?"

Bryn was silent for a long while before answering, "I'm not sure. It has never been successful. It hasn't even been attempted in centuries due to its low survival rate both for the donor and the receiver. It also has never been attempted on a person with chakra. But it is all I can think of. It is all I can do for you."

Sakura stood there in silence going over what Bryn told her. "And if it is successful what will happen?"

"You will have all of my magick powers and there is the chance that I will die from the drastic change in my body and there is the chance you could die as well. Your chakra might object to it or there could be a negative reaction between the two sources. Or simply your body might not be able to handle it. One source might cancel out the other causing you unbearable pain leaving you either alive and as you were or as a mage or just dead. There is also the chance that you will survive and become unimaginably powerful. If your chakra and my magick fuse together, its power may become unchallengeable and you might be able to defeat Radek and save Saarik. It's a mighty gamble."

Sakura absorbed all Bryn had revealed and measured her options. If she did manage to make it to Xanthus, there was still the chance of getting caught and having to face Radek. And if she did manage to escape with her son, she still needed to save Azryal and not to mention the entire kingdom. And what if she got caught before she could save anyone? What if Radek took over her mind and made her his slave? What would happen then? She wouldn't be able to save anyone, let alone herself. She had no other choice. With this offer of power, she would accept and gamble it all. If she didn't get more power, she would be of no use to anyone; she might as well be dead.

"I'll do it, Bryn."

Bryn smiled slightly at her courage. Amidst all the shocked whispering Bryn motioned Sakura closer to the cells.

"So be it. You are a fine woman, your Highness. Azryal was right to choose you. I hope you could forgive me for my foolish accusations and objections before and after your marriage."

"Bryn, stop talking like this is your deathbed." Sakura scolded, hiding her nervousness and her urge to cry at his words.

"It might as well be." And then without another word the hall went silent and Bryn closed his eyes.

Sakura could feel him pulling on his magick and she wondered why the band around his neck didn't stop him from drawing on this much magick. And then all thoughts fled her mind when he suddenly pressed his forefinger and middle finger against her forehead. She felt his touch burning against her skin and she closed her eyes against the pain. She suddenly 'saw' what was happening between them. Bryn's magick was flowing out of him, leaving his magick streams dry and shriveled as they surged into Sakura, filling her rapidly. And when magick touched chakra harsh red pain raged within her, making her want to thrash and scream and tear at her skin. But her body refused to move and she didn't know why. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she couldn't even cry out her anguish. She felt her chakra bubbling and popping within her as the foreign source overtook it and covered it without mercy. And just as abruptly as the magick had entered her, it forged with her chakra until she couldn't even decipher between the two. This new source was neither magick nor chakra and it was pulsing gently through her veins as if it had always belonged there. The pain was gone leaving no trace that it had ever been there and she suddenly felt Bryn release her and her eyes automatically opened.

The first thing she noticed was that Bryn was sprawled on the floor and the hall was brimming with numerous voices.

The men who shared their cell with Bryn was kneeling around the old man on the floor, one had his fingers against Bryn's neck, feeling for a pulse.

"He's dead! Bryn's dead!" The man shouted.

And then everyone started talking at once, in shock at the death of the great Bryn who had been the Emperor's oldest adviser.

Sakura blinked a couple of times before she opened her mouth and then realized she didn't know what to say. She could feel the power pulsing through her in a comforting stroke and her skin was prickling from it. But apart from this foreign power, she felt completely numb, only the urge to find her son dominating her thoughts.

Before she could decide what to do the hall went silent as everyone heard loud footsteps stomping down the stairs from the upper level.

"What's with all this damned racket down here? Are you old fools looking for some more attention from Lord Radek?" The guard stopped short at the sight of the pink-haired woman standing in the middle of the hall, her eyes glowing a vibrant green."W-Wha-"

He was cut short with Sakura's fingers wrapped tightly around his throat. He didn't even see her move. She was just suddenly choking him. A dark gray energy pulsated from her skin and he watched as it dissolved into his body. A slight burning intensified as it moved up to his head and soon all he could see was black, the image of those glowing green orbs embedded into the back of his mind as his life force stuttered to a halt and he slowly blacked out, never to wake again.

Sakura let the unfortunate guard slip from her fingers before she reached down and unhooked the key from the guard's belt. She didn't skip a beat as she turned to hand it to the man who had confirmed that Bryn was dead. If she remembered correctly, he was called Alin.

"Alin?" At his surprised and flattered nod Sakura continued, "I'll leave these with you. If it gets too violent get everyone out of here. I don't want you leaving too soon because I don't want to raise any suspicion to my presence. Got it?" She handed him the key at his determined nod. Then she turned to address everyone, "Bryn was a good man. He gave his life for Saarik and he will be remembered and celebrated once this nightmare is over. Stay safe and stay alive." And without a word she turned from the cells, dragged the dead guard down the steps to the storage rooms and threw him into a closet in the nearest room that she barely acknowledged was full of old documents.

She then hurried up the stairs past the cells and into the next level. She was in the food storage floor. She passed rooms filled with frozen meat, spoiled vegetables, and all sorts of wines, mead, and ale. She decided to test her new power by scanning the rooms for any mages. She closed her eyes and pulled on the source flowing through what used to be her chakra channels. She didn't know how similar or how different it was to chakra but she did what she normally did with chakra to scan an area. It worked. She didn't feel anyone nearby except a group of guards in the far room near the stairs leading to the next level. They were sitting around a round wooden table playing cards and drinking. There were three of them and as she moved closer she was able to make out what they were saying.

"What's taking Kirk so damn long?"

"I dunno. You think we should go check if he's having trouble with those old fools?"

"Nah, he probably went to the servants' quarters. You know how he fancies playing around with those whores. Just leave him alone."

Sakura debated killing them to prevent them from growing suspicious and thought about the pros and cons. If she let them live, they could pop up later and cause problems. They were the enemy and her son was being kept here and they might hamper her escape later.

Without thinking of the cons of killing them she gathered a bit of her new power and watched as slivers of gray dusty streams slithered into the room with the guards. She felt them crawl up the legs of the men and suddenly a panic brewed within the room. The men were quickly silenced as the slivers of her power slid into their head through their mouth and nostrils to stab into their brain and kill them instantly.

She was amazed by the amount of stealthiness this new power had; perfect for her current situation. And it didn't feel like she was running out of it any time soon.

She dragged each body into the nearest storage room, luckily it was the room with rottening vegetables. No one would come in here for any food. She stuffed the bodies in a corner with sacks of smelly cauliflower and broccoli hiding them as best she could. She managed to stuff one in a cabinet in the room too.

Dusting her hands off she quietly made her way up to the next level, listening intently. This was the servants' quarters. She reached out with her power and only felt numerous servants locked away in their rooms, no doubt to be used as whores for the mages. Although it pained her to do it, she couldn't do anything for the servants just yet. Her number one priority was her son and she couldn't jeopardize that for anyone. Luckily there were no mages or guards on this floor but instead of making her way to the stairs, she instead headed for a massive painting in a dead end hall. Next to the painting was a small table with a simple vase on it. She reached under the table and pressed the lever that she knew would be there. The painting flung forward on silent hinges to reveal a dark passageway. She stepped into the passage, allowing the painting to quietly close shut behind her. Trina had told her about this secret passage that the servants used to make their way around the palace quickly. It led to the kitchens, the guest floor which was the third floor, the noble floor which was the fourth floor, and the royal floor which was the fifth floor. And those were just the commonly used paths; there were numerous paths that Trina didn't tell her about because she didn't have any need to use them.

She knew if she turned left at the first crossroad she would end up in the kitchens and if she went straight she would reach a set of stairs that took her to the third floor. If she turned right she would reach another crossroad. She didn't know where they were keeping Xanthus but she would try his bedroom first. She took the right path and headed straight down to reach the dusty staircase that would take her to the fifth floor. It took a very long while for her to climb those dirty stone stairs. Just as her patience was wearing thin and her anxiety began building up, she reached a dimly lit wall. She pressed her ear against the wall, knowing it to be another painting. She hesitantly reached out with her power to see if it was safe to come out.

Her heart began to beat faster as she felt a deserted hallway. She gently pressed against the back of the picture frame and it swiftly flung open. She climbed out quietly and made sure to close the passage before quickly making her way down the familiar halls. The halls were dim and dirty due to its lack of upkeeping. The flowers she passed were all dried up, withered, and discolored. The rugs were muddy and dirty. Some of the candles were missing or broken. She hardened her heart as she finally reached the door that would lead her to her son's room. Her heart beat anxiously against her chest as she stood in front of the door, afraid to open it but yet excited to find her boy. She finally mustered up enough courage to turn the doorknob and push the door open. Her eyes swept across the room excitedly only to blur with tears when she not only found the room empty, but completely disastrous. It was as if the room was raided. Photos and paintings were torn and broken and his toys were strewn across the floor stomped on and in pieces. His clothes were strewn about and plenty of things were missing, probably taken by the mages for trade or some other purpose. The curtains were shredded and the rugs were ripped apart. And mud and dirt was everywhere. Before she could take in anymore she hurried out the room, forgetting to close the door as she rushed down the hall.

She pulled on her power and swept the floor finding it empty in every room. It should have been the first thing she did but in her excitement she didn't want to face disappointment. She didn't bother heading back to the painting. She dared to venture down the staircase that would lead her to the fourth floor though she didn't dare enough to use the lift that would easily allow her access to any level without exerting herself.

She once again swept the floor and this time she felt numerous mages slumbering in different rooms across the level. These were probably the mages that were sent out on the night raids. She had noticed when she passed near a window on the fifth floor that night was approaching so maybe it wouldn't be long before these mages woke up to wreak some more havoc. Sakura did one final sweep, confirming that there were just mages on this floor before continuing down the staircase to the third level.

This floor was much more busy. Sakura felt numerous guards bustling around in the rooms and to avoid discovery Sakura hurried back up to the fourth level where she scanned the floor below. These guards were getting ready, maybe for the night shift. Sakura swept through each room individually and didn't feel any familiar energy and with a heavy disappointment, she decided to make her way back to the secret passageway to decide what her next move should be.

But just as she was about to push off the floor she felt the brush of a familiar string of magick. It caressed the edge of her senses and her eyes widened when she recognized Kyston's energy.

_What was he doing? Was he so stupid to not hide his magick?_ Sakura's heart stopped for an instant when she realized that Kyston wasn't stupid; he had been discovered!

He was on the second floor and he was fighting another familiar chakra but one that was not on their side. She could just barely make out Rene's energy below Kyston's and the stranger's. Rene's was weak and tired!

Sakura's mind was racing with indecision. If she rushed down there to help them, she would give away her position and any hopes of saving Xanthus. But if she left them alone, there was the very real chance that they would be killed.

Sakura clenched her fists, her muscles tensing with her decision but before she could make another move the sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned just in time to see three mages round the corner.

She felt her body go numb and emotionless as they noticed her. They all looked incredibly surprised to see her kneeling on the floor, completely unscathed. And before the thought even reached her comprehension she was flinging her power at them, wrapping the gray strands around their limbs and squeezing. She didn't even hear their screams or shouts as she used all her force and inserted her gray power into their bodies and making it explode viciously. One let out a strangled cry as blood dripped from his eyes and he fell to the floor, motionless.

The black-haired one was the first to fight back. He flung his power at her and it sliced into her arm before she thought she should dodge it. The other blonde mage used her distraction as a chance to fling his power at her. She felt the shock go through her as his strange yellow light hit her and she smelt scorched flesh. She felt the black-haired mage grab her hair and pull it back and she took the opportunity to shove a sharp kunai into his throat in an upward motion so it went into his brain. Blood gurgled into his throat and he fell dead to the the floor just like the first. The blonde let out an angry shout as he flung another yellow orb at her and it latched onto her leg, burning savagely. She quickly covered her hand in her gray power and shoved it into the yellow light on her thigh. It burst it apart and she closed her eyes as it alighted brightly before dissipating. But before she could catch her breath, she felt more mages rushing down the hall.

Without a second thought she pelted down the stairs, dodging more yellow orbs the blonde mage threw after her. She rushed through the halls and sliced through every guard that was in her path. Just as she found the secret passage a surge of mages and guards came around the corner and she hesitated to reveal her only escape route.

The blonde mage pushed through the crowd, his eyes blazing in a rage. His fists were glowing in yellow light and he looked ready to kill her. There was so much yelling and shouting coming from the guards and mages and Sakura felt herself go numb again in the face of death.

But just then, who would have thought her savior would come in the form of Kinto. He shoved his way through the crowd and yelled at everyone to stop.

Sakura stared blankly at Kinto as he turned to face her.

"I was beginning to wonder when it was you would show up. You took longer than we expected. We thought you would be snapping at our heels the moment we left that pathetic village. Now, come along, Lord Radek won't wait any longer." Kinto ordered as if she was supposed to be meeting him for tea.

When she didn't move, Kinto's expression turned dark, "Now don't tell me you think you have a choice in the matter. Don't you remember what I told you the last time we met? You'll be Lord Radek's-"

"I know what you said." Sakura cut Kinto off harshly, "But you're a fool if you think I'll go to him to become his slave without lifting a finger to fight."

Kinto smiled as if she said something a little child would say. "Now now, your Highness. You have no other options. You're caught, your pathetic 'guards' are about to die, and you still have no idea where your beloved son is."

At the mention of Xanthus, Sakura's rage surged again, "Tell me where his is, _now_!"

"Come with me and you'll see him." Kinto replied smoothly.

"Go to hell!" Sakura shouted.

Before Kinto could react, Sakura wrapped her power around her and then shoved it into the crowd around her sending them flying backwards, into each other and onto the floor. Without missing a beat, she poofed out of the hall and onto the second floor right into the middle of Kyston's fight. She was surprised to be able to use her new power to teleport but she couldn't appreciate how much more smoother and easier it was because she realized Kyston was currently losing to his opponents and Rene was slowly bleeding to death.

They were facing off with two of the mages who had invaded Konoha; Seiryn, and Zaire.

Zaire immediately threw a chakram at her and she easily deflected it with a strike of her power. Then she grabbed onto Kyston, flashed them next to Rene, and then she quickly poofed all three of them out of the hall and into the secret passageway that led to Adalrich.

It was pitch black so she felt around for the branch she had stamped out earlier and lit it again. She propped it in the torch cradle and then turned to Rene. Without a word to either of them she set to work.

She was hesitant at first, nervous about using her new power to heal but having no other choice, she coated her hands in the gray power and watched as it turned a bright white as it drew nearer to Rene's wounds. She pressed her hands against Rene's stomach and felt him moan as her energy melted into him and flowed over his damaged muscle and tissue, mending his broken ribs and leg and knitting his wounds together. She purified the simmering infections and finally pulled out of him. It was incredible how much faster and easier it was than with chakra.

He was staring at her in amazement. Kyston was staring at her suspiciously as well.

"What?" Sakura snapped.

"What happened to you?" Rene asked, "Your healing feels really...different somehow. It felt warmer and lighter. Why?"

Sakura stared at them, wondering how to answer before she heaved a sigh and explained to them what Bryn did.

"Do you realize you could have _died_?" Kyston nearly shouted.

"Yes, I was very well aware, thank you. Now come here, let me see what's wrong with your arm."

Kyston clutched at his mangled arm protectively as he glared childishly at Sakura. Then, at her unrelenting glare, he gave in and let her heal it.

"Now what do we do?" Rene asked.

"We go back in, what do you think?" Kyston snapped.

"'We'? You and Rene?"

"And you." Kyston answered nonchalantly.

"_Me_? But I thought it wasn't _safe_?" Sakura mocked.

"Well, no matter what I say, you're gonna do as you please. Am I wrong?" Kyston replied in a reprimanding tone.

Sakura raised her chin, "And if I had done as you ordered you both would be dead right now."

Kyston opened his mouth to argue but then shut up when he realized she was right.

"Well what do we do then?" Rene asked again.

"I'm going to give myself to Radek."

"_What_?" Both Kyston and Rene shouted at the same time.

Sakura glared. "I need to find Xanthus and we're not getting anywhere. If I give myself to Radek, you'll have an ally _inside_. Soon Galen will be here with reinforcements and you guys can focus on getting the rest of the mages from the other villages to come and fight. I'm going to find my son. And then find a way to release Azryal."

"Sakura, you do realize what Radek plans to do? He's going to take over your mind and _make_ you his Queen. You won't have any control over your mind or body. You'll be a puppet! Then you won't be our ally!" Kyston explained harshly, mad at the thought of Sakura giving herself over to Radek.

"Kyston, I have this new, unfamiliar power that's never been known before. Radek's just a mage; a powerful mage but a wielder of magick. I don't know what I wield but it's not anything we know of. I can do this, I _need_ to do this. Please don't fight me on this."

"_Sakura_! Yes you have an unfamiliar power but that shouldn't be the deciding factor on what you're about to do! You don't know the extent of that power and you don't even know how it will fare against someone as strong as Radek! Please think this through and just come with us! Please!" Kyston tried to reason, almost begging.

Sakura looked up at him sadly, "I can't leave yet, Kyston. You must understand!"

"Sakura, if he takes over your body, I won't be able to hurt you. He'll have an advantage against us. _You must see the risks_!"

Everyone was silent for a moment after Kyston's angry words. Finally Sakura shook her head.

"I'm going back whether you approve or not. I'll still try to find Xanthus on my own but if I'm caught I'll give myself over and see what happens from there."

"No! You don't know what you're getting yourself into! You won't have any control over yourself! Sakura! You won't be helping us!" Kyston almost seemed frantic in trying to stop her.

"I'm sorry." And without another word Sakura pushed open the rock wall and disappeared into the unlit room, the wall thudding closed behind her.

Kyston and Rene stared at the wall, dumbfounded.

"What has she done..?" Rene whispered.

"She's damned us all." Kyston ground out before pushing against the wall.

"What are you doing, Kyston?" Rene asked in a panicked voice.

"I'm going after her, what does it look like?" The blue haired warrior grunted as he pushed against the rock Sakura had pushed to open the wall. It swung open once again, scraping against the stone floor.

"You can't! First of all you'll give her away. We were helpless against those pathetic mages, what makes you think we could stand against a whole palace full of them? We need reinforcements like Sakura said. She made her decision. I don't think we should jeopardize everything just to go chasing after her when we know she won't come back with us. Remember our mission. Freeing Azryal is our top priority." Rene explained hurriedly, relieved when Kyston finally turned away from the wall to face him.

With a dejected sigh Kyston nodded in agreement. "You're right." He let the stone wall thud closed once again and without a word began the long trek to Adalrich.

* * *

Sakura was once again back in the secret passageway near the servants' quarters. She was incredibly surprised she didn't sense Kyston chasing after her in an attempt to stop her from this supposed suicide mission.

She didn't know why she told Kyston and Rene that she planned on letting Radek take over her body. She knew for a fact that it would be game over if she allowed Radek to take over her mind and she wasn't in any way going to let it happen. Maybe she just wanted to sound dramatic or like she knew what she was doing when really she didn't. All in all, she was willing to risk it all to find Xanthus. She would be careful in her search for her son but if worst came to worst, she really would sacrifice herself to get nearer to Xanthus.

Obviously, Radek was most likely keeping the boy close by in the hopes that she would come looking. She wasn't planning on being found out but as seen in the past, plans don't always go quite as smoothly as one hopes.

She had ventured down one of the passages she was unfamiliar with. It was the paths Trina said the servants didn't use because it wasn't useful in their tasks. This way was dark and much more musty but it wasn't long before she came to a dead end. She pressed her ear against the cold stone of the wall that cut off her path. She couldn't hear anything so she closed her eyes and reached out with her power.

There seemed to be about five people in the room and the simmering energy within them let her know they were mages. One mage in particular had a different sort of power though, a lot similar to a shinobi's chakra. But it wasn't quite chakra. She concentrated harder but couldn't figure it out.

While she was trying to decide what to do, one of the mages, one with a vast amount of energy, grew fainter and she assumed he left the room. What if he was Radek? He harbored quite a lot of energy. No, she couldn't let him get away! What if he was heading back to where Xanthus was?

While she was wondering if she could force her power through the wall to kill off the four remaining mages in the room, they all left. She blinked in confusion at the suddenly empty room and then after waiting about ten minutes, pushed at the wall. It slowly opened, surprisingly quiet.

She stepped into the Emperor's study, everything looking almost the exact same as the last time she had been there. The wall slid behind her and she barely noticed as it thumped closed.

She moved closer to the large mahogany desk and inspected the scrolls and books spread out across it. Nothing looked to be of any use so she decided to move to the door and scanned the hallway to see if it was clear.

It seemed completely empty.

Warning bells should have been going off in Sakura's head but she passed it off as exceedingly good luck.

She stepped carefully into the hallway and headed to what she knew to be the throne room. Instead of using the main entrance she headed for the private entrance she had used in the past to spy on Azryal during his council meetings.

She kept constantly scanning the halls around her and the rooms she passed as she moved. Everywhere was completely deserted.

When she finally made it to the secret door behind the throne she reached in with her power and found only two presences in the room. One was the previous mage with the vast magick and the other was young and innocent with the beginnings of the smoldering energy that was magick.

Her heart swelled in relief and excitement as she recognized Xanthus's presence. She wanted to burst into the room but instead she slowly opened the secret door, using her power to mask her presence. As she stepped into the curtained room, the sheer cloths creating a surreal feeling as she pushed through them, she finally laid eyes on the white-blonde head of her son. He was sitting in what seemed to be a completely empty white room. It wasn't the throne room, just a blank world with Xanthus in the middle of it.

And as soon as she comprehended that this couldn't be real she felt a kind of groggy feeling come over her.

"Ah, we've been expecting you, your Highness."

Lord Radek's voice was what finally broke the illusion and the white room melted away to reveal the throne room which was filled with mages. Kinto and the three mages that had invaded Konoha were in the front ranks. And Lord Radek was sitting on the beautiful white throne that had once seated Azryal.

"Please, don't look so alarmed. We won't harm you in any way." Lord Radek smiled serenely at Sakura as her heart sped up in panic.

She was a fool for thinking things would go so smoothly for her. When she found the place deserted she should have spun on her heel and returned to Kyston and Rene. Not think she was clever and go floundering on like a fool.

"I must admit I was surprised you didn't realize sooner that you were caught in an illusion. It seems Kinto isn't as useless as I previously assumed."

"How..?" Sakura asked, her mind in shock.

"When you were caught the first time I honed in on that strange energy in you. It made it rather easy for me to follow seeing as how you didn't try to hide it and no one else had a similar power. I thought you would escape with those two fools but it seems the lure of your son proved Lord Radek correct and you returned alone. When you entered the study you were already ensnared by my illusion." Kinto explained, his tone haughty and full of himself. "Now, I must admit I thought you would recognize it seeing as how you were a shinobi. You see, I don't wield magick, but a type of chakra I managed to steal from those pathetic Akatsuki members."

"Akatsuki? But I thought they were your allies?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Allies? Don't be absurd. They were merely pawns. We fooled them into thinking we had similar interests and after they had their defenses down I stole from them all that they were worth." Kinto smirked at his own cleverness.

Sakura glared, "I don't care what you did to those murderous bastards! Tell me where my son is!"

"And what will you give me in return?"

Sakura turned to face Radek as he leaned his chin on his palm, watching her with cold blue feral eyes.

An incredible rage surged within Sakura and she welcomed it, "This isn't a barter, I'm not looking for an even trade. Tell me or die."

Sakura hesitated when Radek threw back his golden head and laughed. When he stopped he looked at her once again with sparkling eyes as if he were seriously amused.

"Now aren't you a treat? No wonder Azryal lusted after a mere commoner so much that he made an outsider his Empress. Well, I have a deal for you. We both know you won't survive if you try to fight. And I believe Kinto already prepped you on what I desire? If you give yourself to me and become my Queen, I will return your son to you."

Sakura gave him a droll stare, "That doesn't make any sense. Then I'll be your slave and it will be like I've lost him anyway."

"Now now, don't be so dramatic. You'll have your son. I know you think I will take over your mind but I will save that for when you try to defy me. Be mine _willingly_ and you will keep your conscious and you will have your son but you will be _my_ Queen. Defy me and try to kill me, or try to escape and I will take away your free will and you will be a mere puppet. Still, you'll have your son only you won't have yourself." Radek paused to inspect his nails before asking nonchalantly, "How does that sound?"

Sakura stared at this foul man and found that she didn't know what to do. If she willingly went into this it would be like she was _willingly_ betraying Kyston, Rene, everyone she knew and most of all, she would be betraying Azryal. How could she willingly do that? But if she refused and tried to fight her way through this she would surely fail. And they had Xanthus. She needed to think of her son.

Her mind made up, she blinked back her tears and faced Radek with confidence. "I'll do as you say and become your Queen as long as Xanthus remains safe and unharmed."

Radek's serene face immediately morphed into a sinister evil that made her heart skip a beat in pure fear.

"Smart choice."

Then a dark shadow erupted from Radek's form and sprung towards her. Her ears started to ring as the mages packed in the throne room jeered and shouted at her and she felt the shadow fall over her, jerking her around violently.

Finally, everything cleared and she opened her eyes and realized she was kneeling on the floor, dressed in a strange and incredibly revealing outfit. Her hair was falling in tendrils around her from a high ponytail and heavy, bulky gold cuffs were wrapped around her wrists. She looked up to see Radek standing over her. She felt the prickling of fear as she met his eyes and her throat went dry.

"I'll take you to your son, my Queen." Radek's mocking words rung through her mind and then the world became a blur around her.

* * *

**I know it was cruel to end it like that. But be patient. I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Maybe in another month or two. If I'm lucky. **

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**yuru  
**


	15. Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me To Sleep

**Okay, after a VERY LONG WAIT here's the next chapter. I am so sorry for taking so long but I had a lot of things going on. Please forgive me and enjoy! And READ THE WARNINGS!**

**WARNINGS:**** Beware! This chapter contains scenes of RAPE and SEX! If you are not comfortable with lemons, even light ones, this chapter will not be appropriate for you! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters or places related to the manga/anime Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me to Sleep  
_

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When Sakura was taken to see her son, she wasn't expecting to see a broken shell of her boy. She had followed Lord Radek after accepting his proposal that she become his Queen and he had led her to a room near the Emperor's study.

Sakura had felt incredibly annoyed that her son was so close to where she had started off. If she had just turned the opposite way down the hall and entered the room a few doors down she would have found her son and been out of there in a flash.

But when Radek swung the door open for her to enter she felt her annoyance turn to anger when she saw her son.

Xanthus was sitting on the floor in the midst of numerous blankets and cushions staring into a clear crystal ball. He wore a simple white tunic with poofy pants that cut off at his knees. He had no shoes on and his eyes were as empty as the rest of the room.

Sakura hesitated before rushing towards her son and pulling him into a crushing hug. He reacted as if nothing had disturbed him at all.

She had yelled his name and shook him sharply to try and get his attention but it was as if he were a limp rag doll.

Her heart had sped up in a panic and she had turned on Radek furiously, demanding to know what they had done to her son.

Radek had smiled cynically before swiftly closing the door and locking her in the room.

No matter how loud she banged on the door or how hard she tried to break through, nothing worked and no one came to tell her what was happening. So she knelt next to Xanthus and watched him stare into the crystal ball in silence. She tried talking to him, telling him what had happened after he disappeared and how she planned to save him; hoping that her voice would bring him to consciousness but like everything else, it didn't work.

After a couple hours the handle on the door jangled and Kinto's condescending face had appeared. Immediately Sakura had started yelling at him about what they were planning to do and what the hell did they do to Xanthus.

Kinto had just stared at her stoically before telling her to follow him and then he disappeared down the hall.

Seeing no use in staying, Sakura kissed Xanthus's cold cheek before stomping after Kinto. He led her down the hall to the last room on the left. She couldn't remember what that room used to be but when Kinto knocked and Radek opened the door she saw a fully furnished bedroom inside. Apparently he hadn't wanted to be so out of reach on the upper floors.

That night was the first night she spent with Radek. He didn't touch her and if he had tried she would have fought as hard as she could. But he made sure she knew that he had complete control over her. He made her sleep on a flimsy pallet near the farthest corner while he had the sprawling bed, telling her the only way she would get to sleep on that bed was if she were naked.

All this happened exactly one week ago. Every day Sakura would go to sit with Xanthus and try talking to him.

When Radek finally decided to answer her question on what happened to her son, he had told her that they were releasing his inner magick channels. She had become furious, shouting that it could kill him but Radek had backhanded her hard across the face and she had shut her mouth at the taste of blood.

They hadn't tried to suppress her strange powers because they didn't know what it was but Sakura wasn't going to fight them until she knew how to get Xanthus back to normal. So she suffered at the hands of these cruel men while subtly trying to pry as much information from them as possible.

Sakura closed her eyes as her thoughts strayed to what she had gone through during that one week she was under Radek's control. It could have been a lot worst than it was. He could have tortured Xanthus and raped her but Radek mostly kept to himself unless she forced him to interact with her.

They had made her change into an outfit Radek had specifically designed for her. She remembered when he first gave it to her to change into. She had thrown another fit and was physically punished. It was black and gold and incredibly revealing and undeniably belittling. The top was a black piece of cloth that was wrapped around her breasts leaving her stomach and shoulders exposed as well as most of her back. On her bottom she had a thin piece of sheer cloth that was attached to a piece of gold rope that went around her waist. It covered her essentials but just barely. And just to make his point, Radek had fastened golden cuffs on her wrists and jingling bells onto her ankles so she would always be heard (like a pet cat, he had said).

She avoided walking around the palace too much. The way every mage and guard stared hungrily at her made her skin crawl. She didn't want to bring any unwanted attention onto herself so she spent her days with Xanthus. What she managed to get out of Kinto was that Xanthus would be in a dazed state until all of his magick channels were released and then the crystal ball will change and he will become conscious again.

Apparently this was done commonly in the past but was outlawed a few years before Azryal's grandfather became emperor due to the high death rate. Sakura had become furious when she learned of this, screaming that if her son died because of this she would rip them apart but Kinto had calmly explained that if he was going to die, he would have died within the first day he went into the trance.

Sakura had quieted down after that and just sat waiting until Xanthus returned from his trance.

Only no one knew how long it would take because so far, Xanthus was taking the longest in history.

The rattling of the door handle shook Sakura from her reverie and she opened her eyes to look at the newcomer. It was one of Radek's guards come to fetch her to take her back to the bedroom. She stood up with a sigh and followed the guard back to where Radek awaited her.

He was lying on his bed when she entered and she didn't say a word as she passed him to sit on her pallet. Like always she felt his heavy stare as she walked and when she sat down and turned to look at him she saw the regular heavy lustful stare that he always wore when they were alone together.

It made her heart speed up in fear.

"You know it's getting closer."

Sakura nearly jumped when he spoke. His deep rumbling voice rolled over her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"What are you talking about?" She asked numbly.

Radek slowly smiled, "Xanthus is almost finished. The crystal ball is growing cloudy. It's almost time."

Sakura looked up at him sharply, "How long do you think it will take?"

Radek smiled sinisterly again before shrugging nonchalantly and lying back down, an arm behind his head.

She hated when he did that; he engaged her in conversation and when she got excited he would smirk at her and go quiet, ignoring her completely.

She stared at him angrily. He was shirtless as usual with a flimsy pair of pants on. His wavy blond hair was loose and wild. He was incredibly attractive but all she felt was hatred.

"You're welcome to join me if you wish." Radek suggested huskily, his eyes still closed.

Sakura's glare intensified, "That will _never_ be my wish."

"Then stop staring at me." Radek clipped.

Sakura ground her teeth before dropping herself onto her thin pallet. The sheer blankets she was given barely provided any warmth but her anger and annoyance heated her up just fine.

Not two days later the crystal ball became white and light finally returned to Xanthus's eyes.

Sakura hadn't left his side since Radek had revealed that it was nearly time for Xanthus to awaken. She was sitting across from her son when it happened. Her dazed stare snapped to attention when the crystal ball shone white and when her eyes shot up to look at the boy across from her, his head was slumped down.

Sakura scrambled to his side, wrapping her arms around him as his head lolled to the side. Frantic tears spilled from her eyes and dripped down her face to fall on his pale cheeks as she pulled him onto her lap and cradled his still form to her chest. She felt for a heartbeat and when none was there she let out a bone-chilling scream.

Immediately, the room was flooded with men.

Guards and mages moved aside to let Radek and Kinto through. Kinto tried to pry Xanthus from Sakura's arms but with a feral snarl she punched him in the gut, her strange power laced through her fist and Kinto was sent flying backwards into whoever didn't move out of the way in time. Kinto and three guards were left sprawled on the floor near the door as everyone's attention was focused cautiously on the pink-haired woman.

"He's dead you fucking bastard! You said he would survive this! He's fucking _dead_! I'll kill you!" Sakura was screaming, spittle flying from her mouth as her anger spilled forth and nearly consumed her.

Without even a flinch at her screaming, Radek walked towards her and backhanded her so hard across the face that she fell backwards in a daze, her eyes unfocused. Then he smoothly snatched Xanthus from the floor and swiftly left the room.

Sakura quickly sobered when she realized Radek had taken her son and she shot to her feet ready to fight through the crowd of guards to follow them. They all came at her but she was ready for them. In a fiery frenzy she beat them away from her, her body nearly glowing with her strange powers. She was nearly to the door when she felt a pressure at her neck. She turned in time to see Kinto pressing his fingers into specific pressure points in her neck and before she could react her body succumbed to it. Blackness over took her.

Sakura had then woken up in the same spot she had lost consciousness. She slowly stood up, her body weak and aching; she didn't know how long she had been unconscious. The room was dark except for the dim glow coming from the cloudy crystal ball. She made her way to the door and tried the handle. It jangled noisily and she yanked it open causing it to creak loudly.

Her mind was blank and she felt numb with anger. The halls were empty as usual but something was different about the palace; it felt cold and empty. Finally breaking free from her blank mind, her thoughts raced with the possibility that Radek had taken her son and left her behind.

She raced to Radek's bedroom to find it empty and without missing a heartbeat she pelted down the hall to the throne room. As she drew nearer her thumping heart calmed down at the feeling of life.

Slipping through the hidden door behind the throne, Sakura entered the throne room to see it full of mages. Radek was sitting on Azryal's white throne and Kinto stood below the throne with Xanthus in front of him.

Before Sakura could open her mouth or make a move, Radek turned his head nonchalantly to look at her.

"So nice of you to join us, your son is there. Go ahead and greet him. He hasn't stopped asking for you since he woke up." Radek sounded more annoyed at that than anything else.

Without a word Sakura emerged from behind the throne and immediately felt her heart crumble when Xanthus gasped and called out to her.

She rushed towards him and he practically jumped into her arms. She held him tightly against her, not caring that she was crying in front of all these cold-hearted murderers.

"Alright, that's enough." Radek ground out in annoyance.

Sakura swiped her tears away as she stood up, Xanthus's small hand grasped in hers.

"What do you plan to do with him?" She demanded.

"That's none of your concern, woman." Kinto said before Radek could reply.

Sakura turned on him angrily, "I'm his mother, anything that concerns him concerns _me_ you fool!"

Before they could break out into a full-blown argument, Radek finally spoke up, "She's right, Kinto."

Both Sakura and Kinto stared in astonishment at Radek.

"W-What..? L-Lord Radek, you can't mean to say that she'll have a say in what we do with the whelp?" Kinto stuttered.

Sakura shot him a dirty look before turning back to Radek.

"What do you mean..?" Sakura asked.

"I mean that Xanthus is going to be training under me to become a great mage and my greatest weapon. You, his mother and _my_ Queen, will stand by our side, keeping him under my control and under my command." Radek stared down his nose at the pink-haired woman who's confused look immediately transformed into a hateful glare.

"How many more powerful minions do you need? You've already conquered every kingdom and village around Saarik. What else do you want? The shinobi world too? You could have that in a heartbeat. What do you want Xanthus for?" Sakura argued.

"Let's say, I am keeping him as _insurance_ against a certain enemy. That's all you need to know. Now, everyone clear out, you have your orders." Radek inspected his nails as the mages swiftly and quickly emptied out of the thrown room.

Sakura stared up at Radek, fighting hard to keep her face in the suspicious, confused and 'ignorant' expression she had the entire time she was there. At his explanation and sly hint he had just confirmed everything Kyston had told her. He wanted to keep Xanthus to coerce him into being his follower by corrupting his young mind so he wouldn't ever want to release his father.

_'Bastard...'_ she thought.

* * *

It didn't take Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri very long to dispose of all the men in the two villages. They suggested the villagers stay in either one of the two villages because they didn't know if it would be safe or smart to have them wandering around the land when there were still mages to worry about.

So the trio had been stuck in the larger of the two villages, waiting until they got word from either Sakura or Kyston and Galen. Not one had shown up.

"What are we supposed to do if no one ever comes back? Do we just go back to Konoha or do we finish the mission on our own?" Sayuri wondered aloud to the other two.

"I don't think Baa-chan will like us coming back without any clue about what's going on. I say we finish the mission." Naruto answered nonchalantly, as if he didn't care which decision they chose. But his comrades saw through his facade. He wanted to stay and fight, no matter what.

"So then we just sit here and wait?" Sayuri snapped as she fell back on her bottom with a _thump_.

"Yes." Sasuke answered stoically.

And with that Sayuri fell silent.

A few days passed before something finally happened.

Naruto and Sasuke had perked up seconds before Galen emerged from the forest with countless men following him, some were recognizably shinobi while the others were obviously mages.

Naruto ran to meet up with Galen while Sasuke and Sayuri took a more dignified pace.

"You're finally here! With reinforcements!" Naruto shouted happily.

Galen nodded curtly. "These were the shinobi your Hokage sent with me. The mages I took the time to collect around the villages that were on the way. There are still many more towns deeper in the kingdom. I will be leaving shortly to go and retrieve the rest."

"What do we do while you're getting everybody else?" Sasuke asked, annoyance starting to seep through.

"We are going to be waiting here for him to return. Then we will head to Saarik."

Naruto gasped when he saw who was speaking, "Kaka-sensei! What are you doing here?"

"Stop calling me that. And what do you think I'm doing here? We were all picked by Tsunade to take on this mission." Kakashi motioned behind him at the group of shinobi Galen had brought with him.

Naruto exclaimed excitedly and even Sasuke and Sayuri couldn't keep their grins off their face. Shikamaru, Kiba (and Akamaru of course), Neji, Ino, and Lee were all standing amongst the other shinobi and mages. They were all grinning back.

Not long after Galen left to find the rest of Saarik's mages and the trio didn't complain as much now that their friends were together again in a mission.

"So where's Sakura?" Ino asked after the old friends retired to a local pub that was still out of service because of the war going on around them. The owner was no where to be seen, probably killed after the town was taken over. They made use of the empty tables.

Naruto shrugged sadly, "We don't know. Last we saw of her was after the blue-haired guy and the red-haired guy left to go into Saarik. Sakura took off on her own and we ended up freeing the villages on our own. Luckily there were no mages here so we didn't have much problems. But I hope Sakura is alright."

Ino nodded and fell silent.

"So how long do you think it will take for Galen to get the other mages?" Shikamaru asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"Depends on how many towns are left to be searched. We don't know." Sasuke answered.

"Damn, I hate waiting around." Kiba whined.

"Yeah well, that's what this mission is mostly about." Naruto grumbled, thumping his head on the table.

* * *

After Sakura was reunited with Xanthus, Radek did a rare thing and left them alone in his chambers.

Every time Sakura would look at her sweet son tears would burn her eyes. She watched as he practically gulped down the food that was brought to him. She didn't even bother scolding him to slow down. A constant smile was on her face, the relief that he was alive and well flowing through her body. She didn't think he would remember her or his past life. She always had a feeling he would be a shell of the boy she loved and cared for; a puppet for Radek to control.

But he was just as he had been before Radek had abducted him. Although he was a bit more quiet than he was before.

"Where is everyone?" Xanthus asked after he finished his meal.

Sakura's eyes darkened in sadness, "I don't know, Xanthus. I left them all to come get you. Hopefully, we will see them soon, right?" She smiled at him, which caused him to smile at her in return.

Soon, his eyes grew droopy with sleep and he slid off the chair, ignoring his mother's fussing. He slowly made his way to the big bed in the center of the room and scrambled into it, not listening to Sakura as she tried to coax him back.

It was Radek's bed.

Sakura clenched her fists as she stood to stare at her son who was cuddled into the pillows and warm blankets, his shoes still on his little feet.

"Xanthus! This is Radek's bed. Come out of it." Sakura whispered urgently but Xanthus just moaned and turned his head into the pillow. When she tried to pull him off the bed he resisted by burrowing deeper into the blankets.

Sakura huffed loudly before glancing at the door. _Maybe Radek won't come back tonight...or maybe he'll leave the bed when he sees me and Xanthus in it. There's no way I'm leaving my son alone in it._

Ignoring her gut instincts she climbed onto the bed behind Xanthus and quickly fell asleep, content to have her son in her arms again.

A strange feeling pulled Sakura out of her deep slumber what felt like seconds after she had fallen asleep. A heavy warmth was next to her and a fluttering feather light tickle was making its way from her lips to her neck, down between her breasts to lightly play over her legs. She stretched, a smile gracing her lips, and her mind still heavy with sleep; stuck in limbo between reality and the dream world. Now what definitely felt like lips were pressed against her neck, sliding down to her shoulders. Hands were parting her legs and _Azryal_ settled himself between them. He was kneading her breasts and his lips were moving back to her neck, sucking lightly. A soft moan escaped her lips when a hand slid down between them to settle at her center. It cupped her womanhood before slipping beneath the waistband to touch her directly. She spread her legs a bit more apart, arching slightly as a finger slid in. It slowly pumped into her until it was coated in her juices. Then another finger was added and she let out another soft moan, her hips bucking. He pumped faster and she felt herself cresting, that delightful feeling of nearly overflowing into pleasure. Her hips bucked more wildly as her muscles tensed and she let out another, louder moan as she climaxed. She let Azryal's name slip from between her lips and she felt the figure above her move.

A warm breath fluttered over her lips, "Not Azryal."

Sakura's mind sharpened and she was painfully ripped from the past where she was happily in her bed with the love of her life and was abruptly dropped back into the present, staring into Radek's electric blue eyes, dark with his lust.

Her heart sped up and panic overtook her, making her dizzy.

"What are you doing?" She asked firmly, grasping for anger to replace the fear and panic and _guilt_.

"I _told you_ that the only way you would be allowed in this bed would be when you were _naked_." Radek smirked darkly, lowering his hips so the bulge in his pants would press directly into her center, their thin clothes the only thing stopping him from entering her.

Sakura's fist tightened and she tried to sit up, her anger intensifying when she realized her top was off and she was _bare-chested_ with Radek on top of her.

"_Get off_ Radek! I don't want this!" Sakura grit out when Radek refused to move off of her and she ended up flopping back onto her back.

"Your body tells me otherwise." He rotated his hips so she would feel him even more.

"Xanthus is here you pervert!" Sakura pushed against his chest but Radek grasped her wrists and held them above her head.

"He is with Kinto. You have no excuses. Whether you want it or not, you are my Queen and I am tired of waiting. I can't stop this so enjoy it instead of fighting it. You can always say it was rape later, I don't care." Radek informed her nonchalantly.

Sakura's anger was slipping and as a last attempt she started to gather her powers but Radek's grip tightened on her wrists.

"Attack me and you will lose your son forever." Radek's tone was like ice, ripping through her until she went limp beneath him. Tears burned her eyes but she willed them away, if he wanted to rape her, she would not give him the satisfaction of showing him any more weakness. And she would _never_ enjoy this with anyone but Azryal.

She turned her head to the side, glaring off at the wall but Radek gripped her chin and forced her to stare at him, "We'll have none of that. You will not lay there while I have my way with you. You'll watch me and _feel_ it just as much as I do."

The look in his eyes terrified her and she couldn't even so much as swallow. The hand that had gripped her chin slid down her body to rip the loincloth from her hips rather efficiently. She jerked when he pushed away just enough to rid himself of his pants. She glimpsed his member but turned away, still not believing that it would come to this.

He was back on top of her and she could see the sadistic triumph in his eyes. He slid down her body, his tongue darting out to taste her as he went down. Her heart sped up again when he parted her legs to stare directly at her most private part.

"Ah, I always wondered if your hair really was pink. Here's the proof." He taunted.

Sakura's cheeks darkened, "Go to hell you fucking bastard."

"Not yet." He drawled before continuing.

She closed her eyes when she felt his tongue enter her. He slid it up her clit and then probed into her. He then laved at her like a cat. She felt the familiar feeling of an oncoming climax and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. It took all her sheer will to stop from bucking her hips. She clenched her fists as her climax washed over her. Tears finally slipped past her closed lids when she couldn't help but let a small whimper escape her lips. She was a _traitor._

_"_You like that don't you, _Queen_. Well, I can tell why Azryal kept you; you taste _delicious_." Radek climbed his way back up her body to settle in between her legs again.

"You're a filthy bastard." Sakura grit out, her eyes opening to glare at him fiercely. She hissed when Radek bit her neck hard.

"Let's keep the dirty talk to a minimum." Radek grinned against her bruised neck before jerking his hips forward to swiftly enter her wet folds.

Sakura didn't know how long it lasted, despite how hard Radek tried to keep her 'present' during his much awaited escapade with her, he was distracted once he was finally getting a bit of pleasure himself and she allowed herself to drift away from the horrid experience. She tried to imagine Azryal instead of Radek, but he was too rough and harsh compared to Azryal who was gentle and passionate.

When Radek had finally rolled off her, his body slick with sweat and his eyes already closed, he was quick to fall asleep. He must had been at it for a long time because her body ached as she rolled off the bed and slowly made her way into the bathroom. She felt filthy, vile, _impure_. No matter how much she scrubbed and washed she couldn't get rid of the feeling until she just succumbed to her tears in the lukewarm soapy water of the baths. She had betrayed Azryal. She wanted to kill herself and the only thing keeping her from doing it was Xanthus. She couldn't leave her son in the hands of that monster.

She had to stay focused. She couldn't fall into a depression; she had to be there for Xanthus. And she needed to take care of some serious matters; her next mission was to concoct the medicine that would keep her from getting pregnant. She would seriously kill herself if she became pregnant with that psycho's child.

* * *

Naruto's senses perked up when he saw two dark figures enter the village. He was perched on top of a roof just observing the village; he was incredibly _bored_. He sat up when he caught sight of the figures and as they moved closer a shock of blue hair caught the light from the setting sun. Naruto's eyes widened when he recognized Kyston and Rene and he swiftly jumped from the rooftop to quickly approach them.

"You're back! Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto exclaimed when he finally reached them.

Kyston let out a huff of air while Rene answered, "She stayed at the palace. She has it in her head that she won't leave until she finds Xanthus and she'll even give herself to Radek to get her son back. There was no convincing her otherwise."

"_Whaaat?" _Naruto screeched.

"We don't have time to become distracted by this. Tell us what happened. I see you successfully subdued Radek's men here." Kyston said as he observed his surroundings.

"Yeah, Galen reached the other day with a lot of shinobi and mages. It's been a couple days since he left to get more mages from some other villages. What do we do now? I can't sit around doing nothing anymore." Naruto whined.

"We'll be moving in soon. Once Galen returns we will set out for Saarik. I'm tired of waiting as well. I want this over with now." Kyston grit out.

* * *

Days had passed after Sakura had been raped by Radek. She tried her best not to let it get to her. The following night she had refused to return to the room and had tried to return to her old chambers on the royal floor but she had been quickly collected by Kinto, stating that she wasn't a guest but Radek's prisoner and that she had no other choice but to return to Radek's chambers. She returned to her pallet, refusing to look at Radek. She had gathered Xanthus to her on the narrow bed and closed her eyes, hoping her feigned sleep would keep Radek from talking to her. She had felt his heavy stare but he didn't speak to her.

The next couple of days she had kept a low profile while they took Xanthus from her to begin his 'training'. She didn't even try to protest, knowing it would be no use and she didn't want them to be watching her too closely. She had been trying to figure out a way to reach Azryal.

She had started spending her days in the library poring over the hundreds of books that were years old. She was looking for anything that pertained to the crystal or the prophecy but nothing useful was coming up. There was no information on how to reach the crystal, or how to activate it and there was definitely nothing about releasing someone that was trapped in the crystal.

Feeling dejected by the lack of progress, Sakura focused her attention on a book that dealt with mind-magick. There were numerous stealth spells that entered the mind to control an opponent or to plant information in the mind. The most popular were puppet spells and illusion spells but what grabbed her attention was a spell that allowed the user to enter an opponent's mind to search for information. It was incredibly risky and difficult due to the chance that the user could be discovered and ripped from the mind or thrown out of the mind which could cause dizzyness and a confused state. It could even lead to unconsciousness.

Her mind was reeling with the information; she could enter Radek's mind and figure out how to reach Azryal and even be able to release him! She quickly went over the cons and the more she thought of it, the less likely it felt like it would work. How would she be able to get close enough to Radek to enter his mind without him knowing? It would take her a while to figure out how to maneuver through his mind let alone find a specific, well-protected piece of information. And if she were to be discovered, there would no doubt be dire consequences. He would probably even take away her free will and make her a puppet.

She then let her mind wander to Kinto, he was far weaker than Radek and even though he specialized in stealth spells, his power was more chakra than magick. And her power was stronger than both. He would find it harder to fight her and even if she were discovered, the consequences would probably be less dire than if she attacked Radek.

Her mind made up, she quickly started to form a plan on how she would go about extracting the information from Kinto without anyone else honing in on what she was planning.

Later that night Sakura lay awake in her pallet, a sound asleep Xanthus in her arms, waiting for Radek to fall asleep. Hours had passed and he was still lying awake in his bed. She was trying to feign sleep but her mind couldn't stop reeling from her plan.

"What are you thinking, Sakura?" Radek's husky voice slowly drifted through the silence to roll over her.

She contemplated pretending to be asleep but quickly discarded the idea, seeing no use since she had already been discovered.

"What do you mean?" She grumbled.

"You feel unsettled. What are you planning?" He drawled.

Sakura was about to give him a snarky remark but a sudden idea descended upon her. Her skin crawled and a strike of fear struck through her but she saw the possibilities. There was one way of getting Radek distracted enough that he was left completely unprotected and she wouldn't even need to risk leaving to find Kinto and somehow distract _him_ enough to put her plan into action.

"I was just thinking," Despite what her mind was telling her, her body was revolted. She couldn't bring her lips to form the rest of her sentence, her tongue going dry and a bad taste entering her mouth.

"About?" Radek's tone was lazy.

"About the other night." Sakura mumbled, forcing the warning bells in her head to go silent. She was treading in dark water now and there was no turning back.

Radek was silent for what seemed like a few minutes before he abruptly burst into laughter.

"My sweet, you will have to come up with something more convincing than that if you are planning to kill me tonight." Radek said, his voice thick with laughter and unconcern.

Sakura sat up quickly, her fingers pulling away from Xanthus's head where she had lulled him into an undisturbed slumber, her determination to go forward set in her mind. She glared at Radek through the moonlit darkness.

"I'm being serious." She grit out.

"Then prove it." Radek taunted, his electric blue eyes glowing through the darkness at her.

Clenching her jaw Sakura slid off her pallet and made her way to the edge of Radek's bed. When she touched the edge Radek stopped her.

"What did I say before? You're not allowed unless?" He smirked at her and Sakura felt like punching him but tried to look coy instead.

She took a deep breath before reaching behind her to undo the cloth wrapped around her breasts. She let it fall to floor and tried not to cringe when Radek's blue eyes swiftly dropped from her face to rove over her torso. She reached down and slipped out of her bottom piece before standing before him completely bare.

"Much better." Radek's tone was still taunting but his voice was deeper as he reached up to cross his arms beneath his head. "Continue." He ordered as his eyes continued to run over her body.

Taking another deep breath, Sakura left all of her ideals and morals out of her mind and thought of _nothing_ as she crawled onto the bed. She let another personality altogether take over her mind as she nimbly made her way up Radek's body to straddle his hips. She could already feel a hard bulge beneath his pants and she suddenly realized something; Radek was incredibly attracted to her to become so hard so quickly by just _looking_ at her.

Feeling a bit more confident that she could get through with her plan without any bad consequences Sakura rotated her hips to grind hard against his bulge. His eyes widened at her unabashed stare and he sat up.

They were almost nose to nose and she could see his jaw clenching, trying to keep in control, "Since when did you come to me so willingly?" He ground out, his eyes focused on her lips.

She purposely ran her tongue over her lips, watching as his eyes followed the movement, "I couldn't stop thinking about it since the other night. I tried to stop but the more I tried the more I couldn't help but think about it. And I started to," She made an act of biting her lip and looking down as if she were blushing.

"What?" He bit out, his eyes meeting hers.

"I started to want more." She whispered and before she could continue he was already kissing her. His hand was gripping the back of her head, pulling her to him. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and she felt like gagging but forced herself to return the kiss as feverishly as she could. She buried her hand into his hair and gripped it hard when she felt his hands running over her body and between her legs.

He pulled away, gasping for breath, at the same time his fingers entered her. He was already pumping madly and she clenched her jaw at the roughness of his movements. He pushed her down on her back as he attacked her neck and shoulders, moving to her breasts to pull her nipples into his mouth. She clenched her eyes shut as he continued to ravish her. He pulled his pants off his slim hips before throwing it to the side to return to her breasts. He moved lower and her stomach flopped in fear or anxiety, she didn't know, when he spread her legs for his face to settle between them.

He smirked up at her before plunging his tongue into her. She thrashed her head in a mixture of disgust and pleasure. She had to play the part, she thought. She let out a few cries and guiltily she felt her muscles tensing and she couldn't help but buck her hips wildly against his face as an orgasm washed over her. He continued to lick up her juices while her muscles pulsed in the aftermath of her orgasm. Finally, he moved back up her body, positioning his hips over hers.

He bit her neck at the same time he entered her, drawing blood. She cried out in pain but didn't have the opportunity to really take in the pain because he was kissing her hard again. When his tongue filled her mouth she tasted blood and the sweet taste of her womanhood mixed together in a heady concoction. He was slamming into her and not long after he released his seed into her. She forced the disgust down and instead arched her back against him, faking pleasure.

After he caught his breath, he pulled out of her to roll to his back before motioning for her to come to him. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw that he was already hardening for her. She swallowed hard before positioning herself above him. She looked up to meet his eyes and noticed that they were dark and heavy with lust and pleasure. He was breathing hard and his hips were jerking slightly, impatient with her to hurry up.

_Not much longer._ She thought as she impaled herself directly onto his hard cock. He bent his neck back in pleasure, his deep moan filling the room. She was grateful she had put a spell on Xanthus, she would be devastated if he woke to _this_! His mother and this monster!

She let out a few moans as well just for good measure as she started to pump her hips on him. His hips started to buck beneath her and she sped up, hurried to finish this. She had to swallow her revulsion when she started to feel another climax cresting. Now real moans were escaping her lips and her steady movements were becoming frantic and wild. Her climax hit her hard and she cried out. With her orgasm still pulsing through her, her hips bucked against him weakly as her arms started to give out.

While the aftermath of her orgasm was slowly dissipating, Radek flipped them and pounded into her madly until his release washed over him too. He collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her hair, both of them breathing hard.

"See, this is much better when you enjoy it as well." Radek's husky voice was mumbled as he turned his face into her neck.

Sakura could only let out a weak agreement letting her eyes fall shut, feigning sleep. She wanted him to fall asleep already, so if he thought she was tired, maybe he would stop and just go to sleep.

She was right; his eyes were falling shut and his body became heavier on top of her. She waited for a few minutes, feeling his defenses fall down around his mind completely as he succumbed to a deep slumber. She then shakily moved her arm out from under him to press her trembling fingers to his head. When her power entered his mind she paused but he gave no indication that he was aware of what she was doing.

It was a strange feeling, being in someone else's mind. It was like her ethereal being was floating in darkness with strange streaks of light flying by. She had naively thought that the mind would be made up of organized files of memories and information that she could sift through easily but she was horribly wrong. She had _no idea_ what to do. She floated aimlessly for what felt like hours but could only be minutes until a streak of light hit her.

She was struck with a string of images and voices that invaded her senses. As soon as the streak of light had left her and disappeared, the images were gone and it was quiet again; but the images had felt like memories. They felt like _her _memories but that couldn't be correct because she was not familiar with the people in the images so they had to be Radek's memories. Feeling more hopeful Sakura continued in the direction she was going, hopefully to where more memories were so she could find the ones related to Azryal.

It took her not two seconds before she was sucked into the blackness of Radek's mind and thrown into a dimension that was alight with memories. It was like a dome of different colored lights shimmering and streaking around her. How in the world was she to find a specific memory of Azryal in a lifetime of memories jumbled together?

A sudden thought struck her and she decided to try it out. She 'yelled' Azryal's name, hoping that it would have an effect. At first, nothing happened but then she was struck in awe when the thousands of lights started to swirl around the dome in a frenzy before diminishing. The dome of light shrunk slowly and soon the dome was a lot smaller than it was when she entered and the lights became calm again.

Even though the number of lights were incredibly less than previously, there was still a lot of memories to go through and she didn't know how much time she had already wasted. So she thought again and 'yelled' for Azryal and the crystal.

The same thing happened; the lights swirled and decreased to become a smaller dome that almost brushed the top of her formless, ethereal head. There was about less than twenty memories now and so she picked randomly and touched one.

She was immediately flooded with images and voices again. About halfway through the memory she realized it was the wrong one. It was just Radek, in his perspective, talking to Kinto in an unfamiliar room about their plan to take Azryal and trap him in the crystal. It had no information on how to go about _doing_ it though and the topic had switched to how they would take over Saarik.

She pulled out of the memory and it quickly mixed back into the other lights to swirl around her. Getting impatient she started to pick quickly. By the third one she was getting frantic. She had no time to go frolicking through Radek's random memories, she needed answers now and _quickly_. It was as if the lights heard her thoughts because a bright blue light appeared before her and practically urged her to touch it. She reached out and was immediately yanked into Radek's memory.

_"Good morning, your Highness. How did the guards treat you for breakfast? Was it to your liking?" Radek's voice._

_Azryal looked up at Sakura from the floor of his cell. There was not a clear spot on him that wasn't covered in a bruise, a scratch, or blood. He was in tatters and his hair was tangled and brown with grime. He looked nothing like the Azryal she knew. Except for his eyes; they burned a smoldering amber as they glared hatefully at her. Her heart clenched at his expression and the state he was in. She moved closer, or rather, Radek moved closer to Azryal's cell to look at him more closely._

_"Today's the day, your Highness." _

_Without a word the mages that were behind her moved forward to open Azryal's cell and to drag him to his feet. He was limp in their arms, obviously he hadn't been fed in days; Radek had been sarcastic when he had asked about his breakfast. _

_They pulled the great Emperor out of his cell, his bare feet scuffing the ground as he fought not to be dragged like a sack of potatoes._

_Radek felt smug satisfaction as he turned to face Kinto who nodded and led the way out of the cells. They went out into the garden, Radek talking senseless nonsense to try and get a rise out of Azryal but the Emperor only stared at the ground, glaring intently but silent._

_They walked to the side of the mountain that cradled the palace and Radek pressed his hand against the rock. He said a spell, or a phrase, "To the side the path to redemption parts to let through the prophet of paradise."_

_The rock wall shook, pebbles rolling down the side of it before it moved slowly to the left revealing a steep narrow path into what looked like a short tunnel. _

_She moved forward, the rest of the mages following, and now Azryal had his head raised in interest as they moved into the tunnel. _

_It felt like hours passed by and Sakura wished she could fast forward. The tunnel had ended a while ago and they were steadily making their way up the side of the mountain. Radek would not shut up, his taunting of Azryal continuing as he explained what he planned to do with Saarik. _

_Finally, they approached a landing and her eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous crystal that was shining in the center of the landing. The landing was overlooking the sparkling blue ocean but they barely took any notice of the view. _

_"Bring him to me." Radek ordered, still staring at the crystal._

_When Azryal was dragged to stand beside her, she turned to face him and watched as her hand raised to press her fingers against his head. A puppeteer spell was muttered and Radek had Azryal walk to the crystal and raise his hand to touch it. It immediately started to glow and Sakura could feel Radek's surprise and intrigue._

_He said what seemed like another verse from the prophecy, "Take into you the birth of magick." He muttered some more gibberish and suddenly a burst of light blinded her and Sakura swiftly fell out of Radek's memory. _

With her purpose here completed, Sakura pulled out of Radek's mind. She was breathing hard at her discovery as well as the effort it took for her to perform the spell. But she felt incredibly hopeful that she would be able to finally make progress in saving Azryal.

"Find what you were searching for?" Radek drawled.

Sakura stiffened, her eyes slid to meet Radek's glowing blue orbs as he stared at her, still on top of her.

"You were awake...?" Her mouth was dry at the realization.

"Not at first, but the moment you started snooping through my mind I came conscious. I'm a light sleeper, so when you enter someone's mind, do your research before yelling and shouting in their mind for things that are very strongly protected." Radek explained, his tone was like he was berating a child.

Afraid of what he might do Sakura pulled at her power, not going to give him the chance to kill her but she was halted when he caressed her cheek. He ran his thumb over her cheekbone before rubbing it against her lower lip and then ran it down her neck. He bent his head to gently kiss her before sinking his thumb into her throat. She gagged and began choking while he raised his face from hers.

"Don't even _dare_ try to pull that useless power against me. What did I tell you, if you went against me and betrayed my trust I would take over your mind and make you my puppet. Looks like it's that time, my Queen."

Sakura was gathering her power to her fist while he was speaking and she was about to punch it into the side of his head but she immediately went limp as soon as he entered her mind. She fought as best she could against this foreign intrusion against her mind but she failed against the more experienced Radek.

She felt him flood her senses and rip through her memories to the deeper crevices of her mind. He touched something, implanting what felt like a seed into her mind and suddenly her mind went black.

She was in an empty place; formless, timeless, and expressionless. Snippets of what seemed like memories floated through her but she paid it no mind. Xanthus was in a few of them, confused and angry but the memory was gone before she could hone in on it. Radek frequented them a lot more and she was so disgusted by the scenes that played through her mind that she would be the first one to push away from the memory before it could even disappear.

She was huddled into herself now in what seemed like an eternal slumber, not remembering what she was doing before she had been there and not caring. She felt a sense of urgency at times, like she had to get something done before it was too late, but she could never remember _what_.

Lately there had been a strange sound echoing through her senses. She felt a sense of familiarity with it but she didn't know what it was. As she thought more about it, the clearer the noise became and soon she realized it was a voice calling to her. She didn't know who's voice it was but she felt her heart pull when she heard it. It was becoming clearer and louder and then she could make out words.

_"Wake up!"_

Wake up from what? She wasn't asleep, just enjoying the solitude and seclusion. It was like her mind was at complete rest, it was almost blissful. She had never been so relaxed and at peace.

_"Please!"_

Except for those times that she felt that mysterious urgency to do something. Now what exactly did that mean, again...? She couldn't remember for the life of her. And the voice wasn't helping. It was starting to bother her actually. She was quite content here.

_"-I need you!"_

Need her? What for? An unsettled feeling enshrouded her and the familiarity of the voice became more and more apparent. She was starting to feel a sense of...worry? And the sense of urgency increased.

_"Mama, please, I need you! Wake up!"_

Mama? He's calling me Mama. My child...? My child...

My son...

_Xanthus!_

Like a switch turning on, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her senses and Sakura was suddenly fully aware of herself. She knew that she had been trapped in her mind, to be controlled by Radek and that he was fully aware as well, that she had returned to consciousness.

She was still trapped in the ethereal world so she quickly made her way through her mind. Xanthus's voice was becoming frantic and so grief-stricken that she felt like crying. She thought of that seed that had invaded her mind after Radek had planted it there and she was immediately flashed to where it was. Apparently her mind allowed her free access to anywhere she 'thought' of.

A blue light glowed in the darkness and she made her way to it. The seed was fully planted and was rhythmically pulsing in her mind. She reached for her power and covered her ethereal hand with it before grabbing it and ripping it from her mind. She didn't know what would happen to her mind but she wanted it _out_! It spasmed in her hand and she had no doubt that Radek was most likely on his way now. She didn't have much time. She sunk her power into it, black vines slicing into it before exploding inside of the seed, a strange liquid light gushing from it. It then zapped out of existence like it had never been there and she was suddenly yanked from inside her mind and plopped back into her body.

She felt dizzy and a little out of it. She was sitting on the floor in a room that wasn't familiar to her. There was a big bed in the center of it, and no windows and just one door. She was naked and her body ached.

And her little boy was sobbing in front of her, covered in bruises and scratches.

"Mama, Mama, Mama, please wake up, wake up please, I need you." He was almost chanting his pleas and Sakura cried out as she yanked him into her arms and covered his face with kisses.

"Mama!" Xanthus's face lit up and he threw his arms around her neck, gripping tightly like he could never let go.

"Xanthus! You saved me!" She pressed her forehead to his and kissed his nose.

He grinned at her and kissed her nose too.

She laughed before setting him down and standing up. She spotted a piece of cloth hanging near the door and reached for it. It was a black robe so she quickly wrapped it around her and tied it shut. She held her hand out to Xanthus who scrambled to grab it.

"We have to go quickly." She told him and he nodded his head hurriedly.

She jangled the doorknob and it turned easily so she yanked the door open and stepped barefoot into the hall. Her long hair swished around her as she looked up and down the hall, feeling if anyone was there.

"It's this way!" Xanthus tugged at her hand to the left of the hall.

"What's that way?" Sakura asked.

"The stairs, Mama!" Xanthus quipped like she should know this.

Sakura shook her head, she knew she was on the fifth floor but everything was strange. It was dark and _empty_.

"We're not going to the stairs, Xanthus. We're going this way." And she turned right and headed down the dark hallway. They passed by numerous windows and she saw the moonlight shining outside.

The palace felt so empty and she figured she was being observed. She didn't want to give away her secret passages but she immediately canceled the thought; no doubt Radek and Kinto were already aware of them. She pressed the lever beneath the table with the vase on it and the picture swung forward to reveal the dark passage.

She entered it swiftly and Xanthus went quiet as they entered it and she felt his fear of it. He went completely still when the picture swung closed and they were left in complete darkness. He didn't want to admit that he was afraid. She pulled him closer to her and picked him up. He didn't object at all. She hooked him on her hip and continued through the passage.

She knew Radek was aware of her but she still disguised her powers just so he would assume that she wasn't aware that _he _was aware.

"How did you find me, Xanthus?" Sakura asked as they made their way through the blackness.

"I asked Radek. He told me where you were but I was never allowed to see you. I started to get angry and I attacked Kinto today while he was trying to train me and I found you. But you weren't _you_ and I didn't know what to do. You wouldn't talk to me, Mama." He gripped her tightly and pressed his face to her shoulder. Despite his young age, Sakura was amazed at how well he was speaking. Something must have happened while he was in his trance, something to age him mentally. She held him tighter against her. He was going through so many horrible experiences a child should never have to go through.

"I'm glad you found me, Xanthus. You saved me." She mumbled to him and he gripped her tighter.

They were silent the rest of the way. It took a few minutes for her to find the passage that led into the hallway that led to the garden. She stopped just in front of it and thought for a moment. Radek would be expecting her to go straight to Azryal. He will be prepared for it. He knows that she found out how to reach him.

She looked at Xanthus. She couldn't risk Radek getting a hold of him again but she needed Xanthus to release Azryal. She didn't know how to release him from the crystal. All she had was the prophecy and Xanthus.

But then she didn't want to risk leaving the palace yet. If she left to find Kyston and the others, by the time they got back to the palace Radek would be waiting and more people would die, more than she could let happen.

Looking down at Xanthus's head, she made her decision.

She pushed the picture forward and it jerked open quickly. The hall was empty and quiet so she quickly made her way to the glass doors that led out into the garden.

She scanned the grounds for any sign of movement and when she saw none, she hurried through the garden.

Xanthus's head was up and he was looking around now but he didn't ask to be put down.

She finally reached the rock wall she had seen in Radek's memory and she reached her hand up to press against it.

"What are you doing, Mama?" Xanthus whispered, knowing that they could be discovered any second.

"Going to daddy." She whispered back. Xanthus perked up at the mention of his father.

She spoke the words she remembered Radek say in the memory, "To the side the path to redemption parts to let through the prophet of paradise."

The rock wall shook and moved to the side just like in the memory and the dark path that led to the tunnel was presented to her.

Xanthus's mouth was open but before he could say anything she was already making her way to the tunnel. It took them nearly a half hour to reach the landing. By halfway she had to put Xanthus down due to how steep it had gotten.

When they finally reached the landing, a light sheen of sweat was shining across Sakura's forehead and her bare feet were cut and scraped after walking over hard rock, and Xanthus was panting heavily. But neither one cared as their eyes were drawn directly to the crystal and the man suspended within it. Sakura made her way closer, tears burning her eyes at the sight of Azryal frozen inside the crystal, his eyes closed and his hair suspended around him like if he was in water. He didn't look battered and broken like when he was taken from the cell, but he looked perfect and beautiful like she remembered.

Xanthus was chanting 'daddy' as he made his way closer to the crystal. He was reaching up to touch it just as a presence made itself known to them. Radek was leaning against the rock wall near the crystal with smirk on his face.

"I knew you would make your pathetic way here. So predictable. You think I would let you release this fool so easily?" Radek drawled.

Sakura stared at Radek after she pulled Xanthus behind her and away from him. "I knew you would be watching, Radek, so don't sound so smug."

"Then why come here, whore?" Radek pushed off the rock and made his way closer. "You know he's aware of everything that happens here. He's watching right now, listening to what we're saying." He was right in front of her now and he was reaching his hand up to caress her cheek but she jerked her head away to keep from touching him.

He just laughed softly, "Don't feel shy, Sakura, after everything we've been through together. All those long nights..alone." He stressed his words, implying the worst and she clenched her fists.

"Shut your mouth, Radek!" And she punched him in the face, her fist laced with her power. She knew what he was doing; trying to rile her and he succeeded. He had never tasted her power yet and so she let him have it. The force of her strength sent Radek flying back towards the way they had come.

He crashed into the ground and his face was an expression of pure shock and disbelief.

Without wasting a second Sakura shouted at Xanthus to put his hand against the crystal. Xanthus stared at her with huge eyes and when she reached for him it triggered him into action and he raced to the edge of the crystal and pressed his hands against it, yelling for his father.

Radek screamed at him to get away from it but it was too late.

Something happened to Xanthus when the crystal burned bright and light flooded the sky as the crystal ignited in white light. The last thing Sakura remembered was Azryal's eyes; they were open and they were glowing white.

* * *

**Alright sorry to end it here but I thought it was a good place to stop. Only a few more chapters left, probably two at the most. We're almost at the ends guys!**

**Sorry about the scenes between Radek and Sakura, but it only made sense that he would have his wicked way with her. What guy wouldn't after making her his Queen? You knew this was coming, it is rated M so..hehe. But I realized that there was previously no lemon with Sakura and Azryal. Tell me if I should add one or not. It's all good with _implications_ lol. But if that's not enough for you pervs then tell me and I'll do something about it lol. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**yuru**


	16. Forever's Just A Lie

**Yay, I actually managed to get this chapter out to you guys in a decent amount of time! Hope you enjoy it! There's a ton of fighting, so sorry for all of you who wanted the mushy mushy stuff! Haha!**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters related to Naruto DO NOT belong to me.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Forever's Just A Lie_

_._

_._

_._

Sakura regained consciousness not a minute after she had been knocked out by the force of the blinding light. She woke up to a loud crack and an even louder crash and when she finally opened her eyes she saw the crystal in pieces and Azryal standing in its ruin. He looked bigger and healthier than he ever had. His chest was bare and unscathed like marble and he had on a flimsy pair of white cloth pants. But it was the expression on his face that made her heart skip a beat; it was set in the most scariest expression she had ever seen on him before. As he walked barefoot over the shards of crystal, the pieces began to tremble as he passed over them. He barely took notice as the shards started to float slightly above the ground and Sakura let out a gasp as the shards shot back to where the original crystal had stood. The pieces collected before shining white and melding together to form the perfect crystal once again.

Azryal barely acknowledged what had happened as he knelt beside an unmoving Xanthus who was sprawled on the ground. Sakura didn't wait another second before she was pushing off the ground and rushing to where Xanthus was. Azryal moved to the side to let her near their son.

"What's wrong with him? He's not breathing." Azryal told her.

Sakura nodded and immediately pulled on her power to inspect her son's body. She didn't notice Azryal's strange look when he felt the difference in her chakra.

It didn't take long for her to find the problem; Xanthus's magick streams had exploded, not used to the amount of magick that had erupted from him when he touched the crystal. He was too young.

Not letting the panic take over, Sakura worked fast to heal the major magick streams to return his body to normal. While she was working she addressed Azryal, "His magick streams are very damaged. Radek forced his magick to full potential by putting him in a trance and when he touched the crystal his body couldn't handle it. He's on the brink of death."

Azryal's eyes widened and he clenched his jaw, "Can you save him?"

"Yes, but it will take me a while." She glanced at Azryal but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Radek.

And he looked furious.

Without saying anything more Azryal swiftly stood and turned his attention to Radek who was slowly moving back towards the exit.

"Don't even think of running, you coward. What were you planning to do with Xanthus? Releasing his magick streams? Are you insane? Someone his age could never handle such power."

"He handled it just fine until that whore interfered. He was never to touch the crystal. He would have been the most powerful mage of his time and he would have been _mine_. I should have killed her instead." Radek growled out, stopping his not so subtle escape.

"Don't speak of her that way, you bastard. And Xanthus would never have been yours so get that idea out of your head. He may be young but he is not so corruptible." Azryal was getting closer and closer.

Sakura was working quickly and diligently to repair Xanthus's magick streams so she couldn't concentrate well enough on their conversation. But she knew it was headed in dangerous waters. She wished Radek would shut up and just die already.

"Ah, yes your son wasn't but your wife," Radek paused to laugh lightly, "She is not so deserving of your defense."

"I don't have time for you mind games, Radek. Say what you want to say or don't." Azryal snarled, not liking Radek's upper hand on the conversation.

Radek sighed before continuing, "I'll leave that for a time when you two are alone, but I'll let you in on a little secret, she's not just _your_ Empress any longer. She's been _my_ Queen time and time again."

Azryal grabbed a fistful of Radek's top and shook him roughly, "What are you implying?"

Radek let his evil smirk spread his lips as he stared the Emperor straight in the eyes, "That she tastes just as delicious as she looks."

Azryal yelled in anger and punched Radek straight in the face. And as the mage was flying backwards with the force of the punch, Azryal grabbed him midair and slammed him into the ground, creating a small crater with the power of his fully released magick.

Radek shouted in pain as Azryal knelt over him to punch him again in the face, causing blood to splatter from his mouth. As Azryal was pulling back for another swing, Radek gathered his magick to him to wrap around Azryal's limbs and pull him backwards to the ground. Gold streaks of light were fastened around Azryal's wrists and ankles as he was held down to the ground.

Radek sat up slowly and wiped the blood from his lips as he got to his feet. "Don't be mad at me, your highness. It should be expected of me. Be mad at the whore you're married to, who gave herself to me." Blood dripped from his smirking lips.

"You're lying. If you think these petty games can lead to your victory, you better think of another way, Radek. It won't work." Azryal growled out, pulling at his confines to no avail.

Radek let out another laugh, "Oh Azryal, you've always been weak, blindly trusting those around you. You must know you'll get hurt sooner or later."

Azryal spat at Radek's feet and in response Radek pulled back and laced his fist with sharp daggers of magick before punching Azryal square in the face. It sliced his cheeks, forehead, and lips open and blood sprayed from the Emperor's face.

"Not so pretty anymore are you?" Radek taunted.

Azryal growled before letting his magick come forth from his pores, moving down his arms and legs to the magick ropes. Radek saw what he was trying to do and attempted a counterattack but Azryal was ready for him. As one arm flung free a burst of black spurted from the ground to engulf Radek who shouted in alarm. As the rest of Azryal's limbs were set free he stood up. The black ooze covered Radek and caused such weight on his body that he was forced to the ground. Azryal climbed out of the crater his previous attack had created and with the flick of his arm the black ooze ignited and then exploded. Radek screamed in pain but Azryal paid him no mind as he headed back to where Sakura was healing Xanthus.

"How is he?" He asked, kneeling down beside them as if he hadn't just been in a crucial fight.

"Almost done." Sakura mumbled, her hands still encased in her healing light. "You finished him off pretty quick."

Azryal shrugged, "He wasn't that strong after the crystal released my full potential. It's almost like it granted me all the power in the world."

"I think he should have suffered more." Sakura whispered darkly.

Azryal's eyes widened at her statement in shock, "Suffering or not, death is death and he can't hurt anyone any longer." He watched her reaction to his words but only saw her eyes darken in an unidentified emotion.

They were silent for a few more minutes until she finally pulled away from Xanthus's body. The light enshrouding her hands disappeared and she sat back on her heels as Xanthus's eyes tightened before opening.

He looked around groggily and when he saw his father kneeling over him his eyes widened and the biggest smile split his face as he shot up and threw his arms around Azryal.

"Daddy!"

"Don't move too quickly, Xanthus! You should still be weak!" Sakura fussed, although she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"Xanthus, my son, you released me! You're my brave little boy! I'm so proud of you." Azryal pulled his son closer to him and stood up with him in his arms.

Sakura slowly got to her feet as well. She looked over at the crater and the big shapeless blob of black goo in the crater. "Is Radek _inside_ that?"

Azryal nodded, "He should be dead by now. Lets get out of here. Next is Kinto."

Sakura looked at Azryal and saw the blood dripping down his face. "Wait, you're hurt." She reached her hand up to touch his face, pulling at her power but stopped when Azryal pulled away from her hand. He had a strange smile, almost like a fake one.

"Don't worry about it for now. Save your energy. We need to get back to the palace." And with that he spun around and headed for the path that led to the palace gardens.

Sakura stared after him in confusion before following after him.

When the trio left the landing, they didn't notice the black blob start to quickly harden before a long, jagged crack formed on the side.

As they were making their way back to the palace, with the sun rising in the horizon, Sakura stopped at the familiar feeling of someone in the palace, or to be more specific a group of familiar people in the palace.

"Is that-" Azryal was cut off when Sakura shrieked, "Kyston!"

* * *

"What's taking Galen so long? I thought you sensed him close by?" Naruto whined loudly to Kyston.

Kyston let out a huff, not bothering to answer the younger boy _again_.

The full group of them were waiting near the outskirts of the village when Kyston had let out that he had felt Galen drawing near. Not five minutes later all of the shinobi had gathered to the spot they were in now to await his arrival. Nearly a half hour had passed by and they were getting restless now.

Naruto had started whining about ten minutes ago and now Sayuri was grumbling along with a few of the other shinobi.

Just as Naruto was throwing a fit about going back, Kyston's senses perked up and not seconds later Galen's arrival could be heard coming through the brush. Not long after Galen and countless mages made their way into the clearing.

Galen looked slightly surprised at his 'welcome party' but he didn't mention anything about it as he approached Kyston.

"Welcome back Galen!" Kyston slapped him on the back which made him glare at the blue haired mage in annoyance. "I see you were very successful in finding the rest of our mages. How many did you manage to find?" Kyston asked excitedly.

Galen straightened up before answering, "Nearly one hundred. I have thirty here with me. I sent the rest to Saarik already to await our arrival."

Rene, who had been chatting up a blushing Ino, sidled up next to Kyston with his ever-present grin on his face. "So, when do we move in, boys?"

Kyston grinned back, "I think now is a good a time as any."

Everyone within hearing range cheered excitedly, the noise growing quickly as the news spread across the crowd.

That same day everyone packed whatever they needed to make the quick journey to Saarik. It took them less than two days to reach the outskirts of Saalihl where Galen's mages had already secured the village. Radek's mages were either dead or imprisoned under close watch.

There were no surviving villagers in Saalihl; they were either killed or evacuated.

The group swiftly made their way through the village to the broken wall of Saarik. Kyston left about twenty men behind to monitor Saalihl while the rest of the group moved onwards to Saarik's forest. The group was large and Rene tried his hardest to keep their magick below detection. It only worked for a little while. Not long after they reached the outskirts of the kingdom did an uproar begin at their detection.

Kyston immediately charged forward with the mages, while the shinobi took the rear. It took them hours to secure the kingdom's village. It was a difficult battle due to the enemy being made up of solely mages. A large chunk of the mages Galen had recruited were killed but they still ended up the victor in the end. They left none alive because there was no time to take prisoners. They had to continue on to the palace.

Kyston had made the decision to leave the shinobi behind to set free the villagers that had been taken prisoner and to fully secure all corners of the kingdom. He and the rest of the mages made their way to the palace where the toughest fight would be waiting.

Naruto had objected whole-heartedly but Kyston wasn't taking any risks. There was no way the shinobi, no matter how strong, could face the high-class mages residing in the palace.

As Kyston and the remaining mages reached the palace they saw a group of Radek's mages already waiting for them in the courtyard in front of the palace.

Radek and his right hand man, Kinto, were no where to be seen.

"Well, look who it is. Took you long enough." A smirking mage with gray hair and teal eyes drawled.

Kyston and the other mages stopped when they heard the mage, Tiek, address them.

"Long time no see. I thought you would be dead by now." Tiek said to Galen who stiffened. He grinned at his reaction.

"We didn't come here to chat." Kyston bit out. "Get out of our way or die."

"Are those our only choices? Well, I must admit I don't like it one bit." Tiek stated as he twirled his chain dagger in a circle to his side.

"I think they've gotten a little too cocky. As far as I remember we sent these bastards running to the forest with their tails between their legs." A mage with black hair and glowing orange eyes said.

"You know what, I think you're right, Zaire. These fools don't remember who they are dealing with." Tiek said, smiling at the new mages.

"I think we should refresh their memory." Zaire smirked darkly and without warning his twin chakrams began to twirl and he shot towards Rene who was closest to him, initiating the fight.

And chaos ensued.

Tiek chose to battle it out with Galen once again and both sides; good mages versus bad mages melded into a single crowd of fighting figures. Bolts of light and flashing weapons were seen everywhere. Kyston was fighting a nameless mage who didn't stand a chance. He engulfed his fist in blue light and shoved it into his opponent's stomach where the light entered into his magick streams and exploded.

The mage crumpled to the ground without a sound and Kyston fought his way past the numerous fights to the entrance to the palace.

Rene was having a tougher time with Zaire. The mage was nearly psychotic in his movements, flipping in the air and twirling erratically all the while slashing at him with his ever twirling chakrams. Rene had to be extra quick and keep one step ahead to prevent himself from getting sliced to pieces. He pulled on his magick when Zaire jumped into the air for another chance to slice into him and as he fell closer, Rene shoved the pulsing magick he had gathered towards Zaire's body. It shot into Zaire's abdomen, knocking him out of the air and he flipped just in time to land on the balls of his feet.

Without missing a beat, as soon as Zaire's feet hit the ground he shot towards Rene again, his chakrams spinning faster. Rene spun to the side as Zaire pelted towards him and in one fluid motion he hit the back of Zaire's shoulder with a bolt of red magick. It made contact and Zaire shouted in anger, spinning his torso towards Rene and slicing one of his chakrams into Rene's retreating arm. Rene yelled out in pain before jumping back farther away from the mage.

Zaire's orange eyes were blazing in anger and as Rene kept staring into them he felt his head start to swim, growing dizzy. Soon, the noise from the surrounding battles were drowned out by silence and then everything began to spin around him except for Zaire's eyes. Then all of a sudden he started to move, his body not under his control as his feet shuffled towards Zaire's glowing orange orbs. He was starting to lose feeling and soon his thoughts grew blank and all he could think about was those orange eyes.

As he moved closer the eyes grew bigger, staring down at him and all he could think of was getting closer to those eyes. Then something hit him in the back of the head and the thunderous noise around him came rushing back into his senses with the fluidity of a raging river. It hit him so hard that he nearly fell to the ground. Once the spinning had subsided he noticed Galen was to his back and that Zaire was looking more outraged than ever.

"Get a hold of yourself, Rene. I can't protect you and fight at the same time!" Galen shouted before turning his focus back to Tiek.

Rene shook his head and straightened as he faced Zaire again.

"You're skilled in hypnosis." Rene stated.

"Congratulations. What, you want a prize? Why won't you just die already?" Zaire yelled as he fell back into his battle stance and then shot towards Rene again.

Rene was ready for him as he twirled out of the way just as Zaire reached him. He grabbed Zaire's wrist and shot some of his magick into it to cause him to drop his chakram. Zaire screamed as he twisted his torso to use his other chakram to slice into Rene. But Rene moved with Zaire's motion causing him to miss his shoulder. He gathered a good bit of magick and sliced it into the back of Zaire's neck before he could react.

Zaire's eyes widened as a gush of red hot blood spurted from the back of his neck and over his shoulders. His fingers grew numb and his chakram fell from his grasp.

Rene wasted no time and slashed into the back of Zaire's head one more time, killing him instantly. The mage fell to the ground with a loud thump, his fallen chakram still spinning weakly in a pool of its master's fresh blood.

Meanwhile, Galen was nearing the outcome of his fight with Tiek. His torso was covered with slashes and cuts from Tiek's chain dagger and Tiek was faring no better. He had new burns and wounds that bled yellow pus leaking from his thighs and arms.

Both mages were out of breath and wounded but still raging with energy to finish off the fight.

Tiek held the chain to his side, letting the dagger hang down. Galen felt him pull on his magick and soon blue electricity made its way along the chain and down to engulf the hefty dagger. Then he began to twirl the chain so the dagger twirled in a large circle to his side.

Galen pulled on more of his magick as well, thinking he needed more than his signature yellow orbs to finish off Tiek.

With a rage filled cry Tiek shot towards Galen, shooting his electrified dagger out at him. Galen dodged to the side and Tiek couldn't stop in time with the amount of force he had used to rush Galen. He helplessly crashed into the other mage and Galen sunk a green covered fist into Tiek's stomach. The green slime covered Galen's entire arm and as it made contact with Tiek's body a sizzling sound could be heard. Tiek immediately started screaming and scratching at Galen's arm as it made its way farther and farther into Tiek's stomach. And with a blood-chilling pop, his fist emerged from Tiek's back with a shot of blood. Tiek's chain dagger fell from his hand and blood gushed from his mouth as his eyes widened in shock. Galen yanked his arm out from Tiek's stomach, letting the mage fall to the ground in a bloody heap.

Galen's arm was covered in blood, scratches, and green slime. He turned to Rene who was watching the fight. The numerous battles were coming to an end around them. They had more mages than Radek's mages so even if one of Radek's mages won the fight, another one of their mages would finish them off.

The two Saahdia mages made their way to the entrance to the palace, dimly remembering that Kyston had made his way there earlier.

* * *

Sakura rushed down the slope to the palace gardens with Azryal quickly on her heels. She could vaguely sense the all-out battle occurring in the courtyard in front of the palace and the distant feeling of chakra in the village that meant Naruto and the others were here also.

As they entered the gardens a loud crash could be heard from within the palace. Sakura shot off in the direction of the crash.

"Sakura! Wait!" Azryal shouted after her but she paid him no mind. With a frustrated breath he pelted after her. She was going to get herself killed by rushing into a battle blindly.

Sakura followed the feeling of Kyston's magick all the way to the throne room. The halls were deserted but the throne room felt lively with the amount of magick in it. But when she reached the throne room she was surprised to only find Kyston and the auburn haired mage from the day Xanthus was kidnapped from Konoha. If she remembered correctly, his name was Seiryn.

The reason the throne room felt like it was pulsing with magick was because it _was_. What looked like _hundreds_ of orbs of light were floating in the air around the two mages. Both were bleeding profusely but Kyston looked worse off than Seiryn.

Sakura felt Azryal come to a stop behind her, Xanthus still clutched in his arms. Kyston's eyes flicked to them and widened when he caught sight of Azryal.

Seiryn noticed his distraction and turned to see what had caught his attention.

"Ah, I see we have company." Seiryn eyed Azryal before smirking at Sakura. Then he flicked his arm downwards and the hundreds of orbs shot towards Kyston and before he had the time to dodge, the lights hit him directly, one right after the other.

Sakura's heart clenched when she heard Kyston's screams of pain and blood spurted out from the white light before it dissipated to reveal Kyston's crumpled form. She stepped forward with the intent of rushing to his side but Azryal stopped her, and she looked up to see him staring at Seiryn who had turned to face them with his smirk still on his face.

She clenched her fists and glared at Seiryn, "You heartless bastard! There was no need! Your foolish leader is _dead_! Your time here is over!" She shrieked.

Seiryn didn't look surprised at her outburst. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, your Highness."

And then they felt another presence. Kinto entered the throne room, looking condescendingly down at them as always.

"Well, I see my senses were true after all. You actually managed to set free the Emperor." Kinto sighed annoyingly, "So troublesome. Lord Radek should have killed you instead."

"Death would have been a hundred times better than what Radek had done, you bastard." Sakura ground out, her fists clenched.

Azryal glanced down at Sakura, taking in her reaction to what Kinto said. His ire began to rise at the implications he was receiving from everyone about what went on between his _wife_ and Radek.

He put Xanthus on the floor, the little boy clutching onto his father's legs but letting go when his father stepped forward in front of Sakura.

"Kinto, this ends now. I don't know what transpired between Sakura and Radek, but what you did to my kingdom is unforgivable. You will die today." Azryal said, loud and clear, his confident demeanor annoying Kinto.

"So, you do not wish to know what Radek did to your wife?" Kinto taunted.

"I will not let you manipulate the situation, Kinto." Azryal ground out. He stepped forward but Seiryn stepped in between them.

"Don't forget about me so easily, Azryal." Seiryn said politely.

"Do not address me so casually." Azryal shot back calmly before swinging his arm to the side sending a whoosh of magick towards Seiryn that sent him flying to the opposite side of the throne room and hitting the wall with a loud _thump_. He fell in a crumpled heap to the floor.

"Sakura." Azryal addressed her, silently giving her permission to assist Kyston.

Without waiting another second, Sakura nodded firmly and grabbed Xanthus's hand before rushing to Kyston's side. He was burned horribly all over his body and his heart was beating weakly, slowing down its beats rapidly, on his way to death.

She knelt beside him, her hands already glowing with her healing powers. Xanthus stared wide-eyed as he watched his mother's healing powers wash over Kyston.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he noticed movement and looked up to see his father walk towards Kinto. His attention was fully focused on his father, watching in amazement at his father's movements, wishing to be like him one day.

Azryal looked up at Kinto, who was standing near the throne.

"What's the matter, Kinto? Why are you trying so hard to kill time? Trying to postpone your death?" Azryal taunted as he took one step at a time towards the other mage.

"What are you babbling about, Azryal? My death is not near at all." Kinto assured confidently.

"I beg to differ." Azryal said one second before he attacked Kinto, initiating the fight.

Sakura had just finished stabilizing Kyston, his heart beating normally now but the burns were still deep. She had paused when Azryal and Kinto began their battle, but she quickly went back to healing Kyston, in case she would be needed elsewhere.

She was so deep into her concentration on healing each of Kyston's wounds that she didn't notice another's movement to her side until she heard Xanthus's tiny voice.

"Mama..."

Her concentration broken, she finally felt a third mage's magick and she looked up in time to see Seiryn stand fully where he had fallen. He was steadily drawing on his magick, his hazel eyes crazed with anger, blood dripping down his face from a gash on his forehead.

Sakura stopped her healing before whispering to Xanthus, "Sweetheart, stay here. I'll be back." Without looking away from Seiryn, she stood up and crossed over Kyston's unmoving form to face the other mage.

Seiryn was already developing about ten bulbs of light that floated ominously around him and she had a second to draw on her power to deflect one of the bulbs away from her when he sent one flying towards her.

When it crashed against the wall, leaving a dark scorch mark, Seiryn automatically sent the other nine bulbs flying towards her. Sakura easily pulled a thin barrier in front of her and the bulbs crashed against it harmlessly, dissipating in the air.

She was no fool; she knew Seiryn was disoriented in his anger and blood-loss and it wouldn't be too long before she would defeat him. If she had faced him in full health like Kyston had, she would be having a much harder time. But she couldn't afford to be fair right now; she needed to defeat him quickly in case Azryal would need her help later.

Her barrier melted away and she shot a black stream of her power towards Seiryn who had been trying to heal the wound on his forehead while he thought he still had time. His eyes widened a second before the black stream puffed against him and he arched backwards, his throat gagging as black specks filtered into his mouth, nostrils, and ears. She felt her magick within him and she directed it straight to his brain where it delved into the organ and she swiftly activated the black specks. They sliced into the brain, pulverizing it into a pulp.

Seiryn screamed so heart-stopping, that even Kinto and Azryal paused in their battle to watch in surprise.

Blood rushed out from where the black specks had entered, and he held his head as he collapsed to the floor, spasming as his body stopped working and his death slowly took over.

Azryal and Kinto watched as Sakura simply spun on her heel and returned to healing Kyston as if she hadn't just violently killed someone.

"She really has embraced her dark side, since being with Radek, hasn't she?" Kinto mused.

Azryal glared hatefully at Kinto and threw a bolt magick at him as an answer.

Kinto dodged easily and threw his own bit of power at him as well.

While they were fighting, Galen and Rene came rushing into the throne room. Galen spotted Sakura immediately and ran to her side, Rene close on his heel although he was more interested in the fact that Azryal was there, fighting Kinto.

"Sakura! You're alive!" Galen stated as he knelt beside her.

"What happened to Kyston?" Rene exclaimed as he saw what she was doing.

"He didn't do so well in his fight with that mage." She nodded her head in the direction of Seiryn's dead body. "But I finished it off for him. He's doing well, he'll be fine." She was almost finished with healing all of his burns, his skin back to its normal color and he was breathing normally now.

"I see a lot of things happened while we were gone." Galen said, "Xanthus seems fine, and Azryal is free."

Sakura nodded and looked over to Azryal's fight. Her eyes widened when she felt a shift in the air as another mage's magick fluttered over them.

"Do you feel that?" She whispered.

At their silence, she knew they did. She grasped Xanthus's arm and pulled him to her the second she recognized it.

"Azryal! Radek is behind you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Azryal paused a second before he felt Radek's presence and he swiftly flipped out from in between him and Kinto to face both mages.

Radek practically materialized out of midair and faced Azryal with his ever-present smirk, not a scratch on him.

"You're alive!" Azryal ground out, "I knew I should have _killed_ you the old-fashioned way."

Radek laughed before replying, "Oh Azryal. This 'mistake' will cost you everything you hold dear."

Something flashed in Azryal's golden orbs, "You've already promised this to me once before. Don't you get it? I will never let you win. I will always come back and take what is mine."

Without waiting for a reply he rushed towards Radek and their fight commenced with magick induced punches and kicks.

Sakura watched in anger as Kinto interfered and Azryal had to deal with two mages, his concentration divided.

When Kinto grabbed Azryal's arm and held him for the one second it took for Radek to slice into his abdomen Sakura was already rushing forward with Galen and Rene right behind her. Xanthus remained with the still unconscious Kyston, watching in wide-eyed awe.

Sakura wasted no time barreling into Kinto's side, grabbing his hair and flinging him to the floor.

Azryal and Radek stopped as Galen and Rene stepped in front of him, facing Radek. Azryal was holding his palm to his abdomen where blood seeped between his clenched fingers.

"Do what you have to, Sakura. We'll buy you some time." Rene stated before attacking Kinto. Galen rushed towards Radek, already pulling on his magick.

Sakura rushed to Azryal's side.

"We have to hurry, I don't know how long they can face them after their previous fights." Her palms were already enshrouded with her healing powers as she grabbed his bloodied palm and moved it away from his wound.

He watched as she pressed her palm to his abdomen and he could feel her strange new power wash into him, replacing the pain with a pulsing feeling that felt feathery light.

His eyes softened as he watched her focused expression. He wanted to touch her but resisted; there were more urgent matters at hand.

As soon as she pulled away he stood up and stepped past her without a word. When Galen delivered a hardened punch to Radek's side, Azryal shot to Galen's side to deliver another blow to the mage.

"Help the others with Kinto." Azryal ordered before grasping Radek's robes and sinking another magick covered fist into his stomach.

Galen nodded and quickly headed back to where Sakura was. Rene was slowly falling back against Kinto who was more refreshed and energized than his opponent.

Galen made a move to replace him but Sakura stopped him.

"Wait. I'll go. Neither of you have the energy to fight and I haven't gotten my piece of that scumbag yet." Sakura stated and before Galen could reply, she shot past him to put a hand on Rene's shoulder. Kinto paused, his interest piquing at the pink-haired woman's interference.

"Rene, rest. I'll take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Rene asked in concern.

"Don't make me punch you. I'll be fine." Sakura said lightly.

Rene hesitated before nodding and stepping back near Galen.

"If she gets hurt, I swear Azryal will kill me." Rene whined.

"Make that the two of us." Galen added quietly.

Sakura was facing Kinto now, his confident expression driving her to anger quickly.

"Well, it has finally come to this, your Highness." Kinto mocked.

"It should have come to this a _long_ time ago. I should have killed you the first time I met you." Sakura stated calmly.

"As I remember, you were too _weak_ to even lift a finger towards me." Kinto smirked.

"You're right. Good thing I'm not anymore." Sakura gave him one of her smirks for a change.

Kinto narrowed his eyes, "We'll see the truth in that statement when we see who is the last one standing."

"I look forward to it." Sakura said darkly before pushing forward and rushing towards the older mage.

Kinto was already drawing on his chakra-like power. Now that she was closer, she could feel that it wasn't quite chakra but neither was it magick. It wasn't like her power either but it was definitely close!

She pulled on her power and the familiar black streaks flowed out of her. She shot them towards Kinto but he dodged smoothly out of the way. She watched in shock as jagged white streaks flowed out of him and knocked her similar black streaks out of the way causing them to diminish before her eyes.

"What sort of power is that?" She shouted.

Kinto smirked his insufferable smirk again, "It's not what you think it is. It seems very much similar to yours, doesn't it? But tell me, how did you come about getting this new-found power?"

"I'm not telling you!" Even to Sakura she sounded childish.

A small laugh escaped Kinto's lips, "Someone gave their magick to you, did they not? It melded with your chakra and created this unbelievable power." At Sakura's shocked silence he went on, "I see by your silence that I am correct. Well, you don't have to worry; we do not share the same power. Mine came about when I _stole_ a shinobi's chakra."

Sakura's eyes widened, "You _what_? How is that even possible? From who?"

Another laugh, "Haven't you heard of the Akatsuki's disappearance? I enlisted them to aid us in taking over the villages and when I had no more use of them I killed them all except for their leader. He was a fool. He stood no chance as I stole his chakra from him, leaving him dead."

"H-How could you _steal_ someone's chakra? I thought it could only be given...?"

"Well, it is not looked upon very highly. No one really passes on that knowledge. I came about it during our extensive research during the years we were studying on the crystal, Radek and I. It seemed useful so I tucked that bit of knowledge away." Kinto explained as if he were discussing something with a close friend, excited to share how intelligent he was.

"But they said you didn't have any magick..." Sakura stated, "You should only have chakra. You mixed it with magick. Don't tell me you stole someone's magick?"

"Ah, you guessed correctly. Chakra is so weak, why would anyone steal that when there were so many mages around to pick from? I chose a couple mages, stealing their magick and collecting it before I went to the Akatsuki. The poor fools were terrified to go against Radek's right-hand man, even one as weak as myself. Even in the face of death they cowered in front of one weaker than themselves. Finally, when I had enough magick to be considered a force to be dealt with, I set about getting myself some chakra. And I never would have guessed there would be a difference to melding chakra with magick versus melding magick with chakra. Apparently the difference is a great one."

"What do you mean? Are you implying one is stronger than the other?" Sakura asked in surprise. At Kinto's secretive smile, Sakura went on, "Which one is stronger?"

"That's for you to figure out; let the outcome of this battle be the decision maker." Kinto stated slyly as he drew on more of his power.

"Meaning you don't know the answer." Sakura mocked as she too drew on her power.

Kinto's eyes flashed in annoyance before he commenced the fight. His jagged white streaks were back and shooting towards her.

Sakura pulled her black streaks out and flung them forward in a crazy whirl, knocking into the white streaks where they dissipated upon touch. Kinto had a second to dodge before he was hit. As he stumbled to the side the black streaks swiftly changed direction, coming at him without missing a beat.

Kinto shot a burst of his power at the black streaks and they burst apart as they were hit. Sakura didn't let this deter her as she ran after Kinto and flung a great ball of black energy at her opponent. Even she was shocked at the heftiness of the energy ball, with its dark red center. It tumbled towards Kinto and he leaned to the side, about to dodge the ball but Sakura was ready for him. She shot more black streaks at him and fastened them to his limbs, keeping him in place. His eyes widened in panic as the ball of black energy made contact and engulfed him.

Kinto's distant screams could be heard within the ball before it started to spasm wildly. A swishing sound came from within the ball and then it swiftly fell in a gush around a heaving Kinto. It seemed the ball wasn't just 'energy' but it was actually made out of a heavy liquid when it made contact with its target.

White streaks whirred around Kinto's body and his eyes blazed in fury at his near death; or to be more precisely the fact that the 'inferior' Sakura brought him to his near death.

Sakura's heart clenched when she met his blazing eyes. Then before she could react the white streaks shot towards her and wrapped around her tightly. She fell to the ground, her cries suffocated in her throat at the tightness. She felt her whole body burning and her head was growing heavy with lack of air.

Galen and Rene saw that she was in trouble but Kinto had quickly put up a barrier around them so they wouldn't be able to draw near her. Rene beat against the barrier, and Galen's alarmed look was all he gave away, his mind reeling with panic, and ways to escape.

Sakura tried to distance herself from the pain and instead focused on her power. The pain was replaced by the rushing of her power through her veins and she desperately drew on it, pushing it out from her pores. She was on the brink of passing out before she felt Kinto's power weaken and crumble around her at the force of her power. She gasped for breath, coughing and gagging.

Kinto's distant curse brought her back to focus on him. She stood shakily and faced him. He was already drawing on what seemed like his infinite power. Just like her, he didn't seem to have a limit to the amount of power he could utilize.

She began to walk towards him and watched her in confusion, before pelting small pellets of his power at her, obviously buying time to think of a better way of killing her.

She grasped deep within her for a large amount of her power and a black sheen materialized around her. The pellets poofed out of existence upon contact. Without missing a beat, Sakura kept walking towards Kinto, her face dark with murderous intent. The black sheen seemed to darken around her, almost resembling a black curtain. She finally drew close enough that Kinto felt like he had to back away.

He backed away, throwing bigger and bigger balls of power at her which didn't seem to have any effect. Soon, he was backed against a wall and Sakura was face to face with him.

He was panicking now, growing desperate and clumsy; the look in her eyes wasn't something he was used to when dealing with someone he looked down upon.

Sakura grabbed his arm and he flinched before grabbing her wrist, trying to pry her off violently. She refused to let go and instead she had the black curtain swish around his head before wrapping around him.

"Let's see how you like it when I take your breath away." Sakura whispered darkly.

The black curtain suddenly tightened and Kinto's heart was in his throat as his air was cut off and the black curtain tightened harder and harder. He felt it cut into his neck and he was grasping about. He felt Sakura and scratched at her hopelessly. She stepped back out of reach and the curtain tightened even more.

He couldn't even scream.

Sakura watched as Kinto swiped around him helplessly and the black curtain finally drew blood as it tightened around his head mercilessly. The blood leaked down his neck and the more it tightened and cut into his skin, the more frantic he became. She was mesmerized as the trickles of blood grew into dark red rivers and his frantic movements changed as he began to scratch at his black enshrouded head. He fell to his knees and with a sickening crack the black curtain tightened around his head so hard that it practically decapitated him.

_Is that proof enough for you, Kinto? _Sakura distantly thought. Magick melding with chakra was the victor in this battle.

Kinto's black curtained head rolled away from his body as it flopped sickeningly to the floor with a spray of blood in Sakura's direction. She didn't move away fast enough, her whole left side was sprayed with the hot soak of Kinto's fresh blood.

At Kinto's death the barrier that was holding Galen and Rene disappeared and the two mages rushed to Sakura's side. They found her vomiting on the floor, covered in blood.

And Kinto's decapitated head staring open-mouthed up at them, the black shroud gone and his sightless eyes staring open horror into their souls.

* * *

"I see dear Sakura managed to rid this world of Kinto." Radek commented not too far from the scene that just took place.

"You don't seem too remorseful." Azryal mused.

Both were bloodied and breathing hard, but neither one seemed to wane in their strength over the other.

"Ah, don't get me wrong, he was a useful right-hand. But he was never irreplaceable. If he managed to get himself killed, he wasn't as useful as I would have wanted." Radek stated nonchalantly.

Azryal, disgusted by Radek's easy dismissal of life and death, rushed the mage with his fist flaring brightly with magick.

Radek parried his blow with one of his own, causing Azryal to dodge to the side. The Emperor managed to slice into Radek's shoulder before jumping back at a sudden spike that materialized from Radek's palm.

Azryal flipped to the side, narrowly missing another jab from the spike and instead shot four spears of magick that embedded themselves in four points around Radek.

"Enough of this." Azryal ground out.

Radek tried to jump out from within the spears' square around him but they ignited and he was pushed back to the floor. A heavy weight pressed painfully on top of him and he realized that Azryal had managed to manipulate the gravity within the square.

"What a cheap trick, Azryal!" Radek shrieked from the floor, not able to lift his head due to the weight.

"This 'cheap trick' worked, didn't it?" Azryal stated lightly before kneeling down just outside of the square within Radek's line of sight. "All of your mages are dead. You are near to death. Won't you give up?"

"You really are a fool if you expect me to agree to that." Radek spat.

Azryal smiled. "I was hoping you would say something along those lines."

Radek's eyes widened as Azryal lifted his arm and suddenly the weight became unbearable, smashing him harder into the floor.

"W-Wait..!" Radek managed to gasp out.

The weight lifted just slightly.

"What was that?" Azryal taunted.

"I-I give up." Radek grit out.

Azryal sat back on his haunches, staring down at Radek.

"You can't be serious." Azryal stated incredulously, "You expect me to believe that?"

"You won! Let me go, already!" Radek shouted hatefully.

Before Azryal could make a move, he looked up to see Sakura coming towards him, Rene and Galen behind her. She was covered in blood but she didn't look tired or hurt. She looked furious.

"Azryal! What are you waiting for? Stop listening to this liar's phony excuses and _kill_ him already!" Sakura shouted as she came up to him. She glared down at Radek with such seething hatred that Azryal was shocked breathless.

_What did he put her through that she could be capable of such hatred?_ He wondered.

"Oh Sakura, my Queen, is that any way to speak to your lov-"

"_Shut your mouth_!" Sakura screamed, cutting Radek off.

It seemed almost humorous; Radek, the world's most feared mage smooshed into the floor, taunting a flaring Sakura who was shouting childishly down at him.

Azryal would have laughed if it wasn't for that inkling feeling deep within him that his wife was trying to hide something from him.

He cut off Sakura's outbursts with a steady voice, "What are you talking about, Radek?"

Sakura shut her mouth so suddenly that a '_clack'_ could be heard when her teeth hit each other.

"A-Azryal, don't listen to him!" Sakura pleaded but at his firm look she quieted again. Her hands were clenched to her in nervousness.

Radek's laughter drew everyone's attention to them again.

"I won't say a word. The moment you learn the truth you will kill me out of anger. Let me out of this first and I will answer any questions."

At everyone's protests Radek addressed the silent Azryal again, "Fine, then just kill me now. And get your answers from your 'beloved' wife." He taunted.

Without a word, Azryal foolishly released Radek. Everyone gaped in shock as Radek slowly sat up, fixing his sleeves as if he hadn't just been on the brink of death. It looked silly, with him covered in scratches and blood, trying to act regal.

"Speak." Azryal ordered.

Radek sat back, folding his legs beneath him, smiling coyly at a seething Sakura before he turned to Azryal.

"Don't tell me you couldn't figure it out for yourself, Azryal." Radek paused dramatically, his eyes flicking to Sakura before he stared Azryal in the eyes, "Your wife had been sleeping with me during the time you were trapped within the crystal."

Azryal remained silent and Sakura watched him in fear, his silence a worse reaction than an outburst.

Rene had the typical reaction, shouting in anger, "You liar! You raped her! You used Xanthus as a way to make her your Queen and raped her!"

Radek didn't seem fazed by Rene's outburst. He continued to stare Azryal in the eye, "I may have raped her _once_. But let her deny that she didn't come to me willingly after that. And from then on we had a very, well, _pleasant_ relationship." He laughed lightly, enjoying Azryal's emotionless stare.

Galen gripped Rene's shoulder to keep him from attacking Radek in a frenzy to defend Sakura's honor. He was watching Sakura's reaction and what he saw in her face shocked him.

Guilt.

"I.." Sakura's quiet voice was drowned out by Radek's sure tone.

"Deny it, Sakura. Just try it." He taunted.

Sakura clenched her fist and shut her eyes. She felt her insides ripping apart.

"She doesn't have to listen to you, bastard!" Rene shouted, despite Galen's efforts to restrain him.

"No, Rene." Azryal finally spoke up. "Sakura," He turned to look up at Sakura's pained expression, his face still blank, "won't you deny it?"

Sakura opened her eyes, her green orbs glistening with unshed tears. She stared down at the floor, unable to meet anyone's eyes, especially Azryal's.

"I don't deny it." She finally admitted quietly.

She could practically feel the shift in the air at her admission. She felt Azryal stand up, but she refused to look up. She didn't see his face set in such betrayed fury. It tore all emotions away from Galen and Rene as they watched in horror.

Azryal walked towards Radek who was already gathering his magick to him, his eyes alight with taunting laughter.

He knew he would die here but he would go with the last laugh. He had taken something from Azryal that he would _never_ be able to forget.

Radek fell back with the force of pushing his magick towards Azryal but the Emperor just flicked it away like it was an insect. His fury took over as he grasped the front of Radek's robes and gripped him around the neck. The moment before Radek's death his eyes never showed any fear, only taunting _victory_ as he stared Azryal in the face.

Azryal's magick gave him the strength to practically crush Radek's neck like it was a can. It was a blood-curdling sound of bone cracking effortlessly. Blood spurted from Radek's gaping mouth and Azryal stared down into Radek's laughing eyes, watching as the last light left their electric blue depths.

He let his lifeless form fall from his grasp before standing swiftly.

Sakura continued to stare at the floor as Azryal casually stepped past her and she soon heard Xanthus's cries of 'Daddy'. She dimly heard Kyston's voice, letting her know that he had been conscious and probably witnessed everything as well.

"Sakura...?"

Galen's unsure tone broke Sakura's still form and she crumpled to the floor, the hot tears she tried so hard to keep at bay spilling from her eyes. She grew annoyed with herself as gibberish spilled from her lips as she tried her hardest to explain what had really transpired between her and Radek. Why she had gone to him willingly.

But as Galen and Rene bent near her trembling form, they couldn't understand what she was saying. So, they just let her cry out her emotions, her desperate words only for her to understand.

They watched as Azryal left the throne room with Xanthus's small hand clutched in his. The small boy craned his neck back, looking at his sobbing mother in confusion. Whenever he would ask about her, neither Azryal nor the silent Kyston would answer.

Kyston had regained consciousness just in time for Radek's confession to what had happened between him and Sakura. He couldn't help the anger from surfacing when Sakura had confirmed Radek's words. He had known that Radek wouldn't stop himself from having her when she became his Queen. They all knew something like that would happen. That's why he had tried so hard to stop her from returning to the palace that time in the secret tunnel.

But never would he have ever believed that Sakura would have gone to that monster _willingly_, no matter the reason. There must have been some other way if she was trying to get something out of him.

He would not forgive her for this. After what the monster did to her family, her friends, her _life_, all those people he had murdered. That she would be in his arms _willingly_ sent chills down his spine. He felt like gagging in disgust.

He had no idea what was going through Azryal's mind as he followed Azryal down the front steps of the palace, past all the dead mages on its doorstep and towards his kingdom. All of the surviving mages that Galen had retrieved followed him in excitement, bowing and greeting them in relief.

Little did Kyston know, _nothing_ was going through Azryal's mind. He smiled and greeted the mages that had fought hard for him before continuing down the path towards his kingdom. His mind was blank. He didn't want to think of Sakura and that bastard together.

His hand tightened around Xanthus's and the little boy looked up at his father, knowing something was not right.

Why wasn't he with his mother? She missed him so much. She cried for him so much. How could he leave her alone?

When they reached the kingdom, walking past the deserted watch towers, Kyston felt Naruto before he saw him pelting around a corner.

"You're alive! That's a relief!" Naruto's laughter rang through the air.

Kyston greeted him before formally introducing him to Azryal.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked excitedly, "She's not hurt is she?" He asked worriedly.

Kyston shook his head, glancing towards Azryal whose eyes were blank. "She's just really tired after fighting. She stayed in the palace. Where are the others?" His quick change of subject seemed to distract Naruto enough to stop him from asking any more questions about Sakura.

They followed him throughout the village to take in the damage and to meet with the other shinobi.

Azryal's only thought was that he needed to distract himself. To distract himself from the fact that his wife had slept with the man who had ruined his life.

* * *

**Alright, one more chapter to go! Hope you liked it. I tried my best to come up with creative ways of killing people to keep you guys entertained, haha! **

**See you guys next time, for the last bit! **

**yuru**


	17. I'm Not Quite Myself These Days

**Sorry for the long wait. Got pushed back from traveling, moving, and lack of internet! So here's a long, last chapter for all you wonderful readers out there!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto, but everything else belongs to me.**

**WARNING: Lemon Alert **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

_I'm Not Quite Myself These Days_

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The days seemed to pass by in a blur. Azryal was taken up with rebuilding his kingdom. The villagers were tentatively returning to their homes, and Saalihl was being secured much more seriously. The Wall of Saarik was being repaired and constant patrols were scheduled to keep all the villages in contact with each other. A new watch tower would be built on the other side of the Wall of Saarik and also watch posts were to be constructed along the roads between the villages.

Azryal felt that more security was needed in order to keep enemies from slowly creeping up on Saarik. They needed more warning ahead of time instead of just relying on Saalihl.

Weeks after the historic battle took place in the palace things were finally winding down.

Naruto and the others had remained behind to help rebuild the houses and buildings that were destroyed by Radek's mages. But they would be leaving within the week to report back to Tsunade.

Sakura grew alarmed at this news, her only distraction being the shinobi from her past home. When they left, she would have to come to the realization that her home here wasn't what she expected it to be when she was reunited with everyone.

Azryal still refused to speak to her.

She had tried multiple times to talk to him, to even get him to just _look_ at her but he steadfastly ignored her.

The closest she could get to him these days without him turning away was when they appeared in public for the funerals. She had cried hard for Bryn's funeral, remembering that he had given his life to make her stronger.

Azryal didn't even look her way when she sobbed quietly.

The rift between them was affecting Xanthus terribly. He was torn between his two parents. He would come and sit beside her quietly, and hold her hand. He stopped asking what was wrong. Even at his young age, Sakura was amazed at how mature he had become.

Kyston, to her surprise, had completely turned his back on her as well. It tore through her, knowing that what she had done had effected him nearly as bad as Azryal. The guilt was eating away at her.

He had tried to talk to her after the battle, to get her side of the story. She had explained to him that she needed to find out information about the crystal and that she could invade his mind. He had questioned why she had to go about the way she did, that she could have used someone else or some _other_ means of distraction.

She had agreed.

But admitted that the chance arose and she took it.

Kyston had given her a disgusted look that stopped her breath and told her that he had misjudged her. His words hurt her more than anything else.

She hadn't even gotten the chance to explain how Radek had controlled her all the other times. She grit her teeth at the thought; Radek had manipulated the situation perfectly to ruin her life before his death. That _one_ time she had gone to Radek willingly was all it took for her to tear herself apart and apparently it was enough to have the men who claimed they 'loved' her turn their backs on her.

But she refused to feel sorry for herself; instead she greeted the anger that filled her mind. The one thing that worried her though, was the fact that she was slowly losing herself. Despite the anger she felt inside at Azryal and Kyston, a helpless feeling still grew within her. This place had become her home, if they turned her away, what would she do? She couldn't possibly live without Azryal. Without Xanthus.

Galen and Rene were her only true support but they had no useful words of advice. Rene still defended her passionately, but even he stumbled on his words when Kyston argued back about what she did. She had insisted that Rene stop starting arguments with Kyston over it. He had very reluctantly obeyed. But he still glared harshly whenever Kyston came around them.

"So, when will you visit Konoha again, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her brightly.

She smiled up at him, "Maybe sooner than you think."

"Really?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

Sakura nodded, her smile widening. She was walking to the Wall of Saarik with Naruto and Rene where they were going to meet the other shinobi. They were leaving today for Konoha.

The week had passed by quickly and there were no more buildings to rebuild. There was no longer any reason for the shinobi to remain in Saarik.

Sakura would miss them greatly. It had been strange at first having these people from her past staying in the palace. It was like her two lives had come together and it was a very foreign feeling. But she had soon gotten used to it and she actually enjoyed waking up and walking down the hall to pass by one of her childhood friends or eat lunch with Naruto and Ino in the kingdom. It was a lot of fun; it took her mind away from more darker thoughts.

It didn't take them too long to reach the Wall. Ino rushed to her side immediately and she began sobbing about how they would never see each other again. Everyone seemed very sad about parting from Saarik, even Sayuri and Sasuke looked slightly more down than usual. She made sure to hug and say her farewells to each and every one, including the aforementioned pair. They were slightly shocked but awkwardly returned the hug.

"Remember you are always welcome in Konoha." Kakashi said, his one visible eye smiling down at her.

"I know. I was telling Naruto that it wouldn't be too long before I visited." Sakura stated happily.

Kakashi stared at her for a moment before nodding. "I look forward to it."

Sakura nodded as well. She always got the feeling that Kakashi was aware something was going on between her and Azryal. She wouldn't put it past him; he was very observant.

"Be safe everyone." She called after them as they all turned to pass through the Wall. Naruto and Ino kept turning to look back at her and she waved until they disappeared through the gate.

"Remember Galen is here for you until I return." Rene's voice made her jump.

She looked up at the redhead and nodded slowly.

"Hurry back." She stated quietly.

"I will." Rene grinned down at her before jogging past the Wall to catch up with the shinobi.

Rene was returning to Konoha with the shinobi to bring back Riina. Galen had been the first one to mention going but Rene had fervently objected to him and Riina spending any time alone together without any 'parental supervision'. Galen had actually laughed at that and reminded Rene that he was older than he was. Rene had exclaimed that was exactly why he shouldn't be with his 'baby sister'.

So Rene had gone instead. Galen had reminded him lightly to bring back Trina too, from Suna. Rene had dumbly asked who that was and Sakura had smacked him upside the head. Everyone knew her maid and Rene was just airheaded. So they were leaving it to Riina to remember to retrieve Trina before coming back to Saarik.

Once Rene had disappeared through the wall Sakura stood there in silence, her heart sinking low. She took a deep breath and turned around to start making her way back into reality.

She lingered in the kingdom for an hour or two but when she found herself just wandering around aimlessly she decided it was best to return to the palace.

It was still early in the morning and the palace was bustling with action as maids busied themselves around the palace, rushing through the halls. She greeted many familiar faces and new ones as well as she made her way to the palace gardens. It was her favorite place to be when the palace was at its most busiest. With Azryal not speaking to her she didn't have anything to do as Empress.

It was a strange situation to be in.

She strolled through the garden, admiring the roses and the way the light shone through the leaves before she found the huge camphor tree she loved to sit under nestled on a slight hill. She settled there, staring out over the garden. The glimmering palace wasn't too far away and she had a perfect view of the doors in case anyone was heading her way.

She closed her eyes and emptied her mind. After the days of digging a hole of sorrow for her to bury herself in she realized that she couldn't let herself fall into depression. She had taken up meditation. It helped her stay calm and in control. She sat straight, concentrating on breathing, letting her breath in slowly through the nose and letting it out through the mouth. She felt her muscles relax and her mind became heavy in peacefulness.

She didn't know how long she sat there for, in the shade of the camphor tree, but she was suddenly dragged back to reality when she felt a nearby presence. She opened her eyes to spot Galen making his way towards the tree. He gave a small wave when he saw her looking at him and she waved back.

"Good morning, Sakura." Galen greeted.

"Morning. How was the meeting?" Sakura asked lazily, leaning back on the tree trunk as she looked up at him.

The crown of his head was framed by the lit up leaves and she had to slightly squint to keep him in focus.

"Uneventful as usual. We went over the repairs that were finished and what the next plan of action would be." Galen replied before squatting down beside her.

"And that would be?"

"We're going to start meeting with the leaders of the other nations to create a stronger alliance to prevent such disasters from repeating."

"Azryal's really going all out isn't he?" Sakura drawled.

"Well, who could blame him? He was stuck in a crystal for months because of poor communication and weak defenses."

"Among other things." Sakura stated darkly, looking away from Galen's pitiable gaze.

They sat in silence for a while, Galen sitting back on his rear in a more comfortable position.

"What to do now?" Sakura wondered aloud, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" Galen asked cautiously, knowing where this was heading.

Sakura turned to meet his gaze. "I'm thinking of leaving Saarik."

Galen didn't let any reaction come across his features at her declaration, instead he just asked calmly, "Why would you give up so easily?"

Sakura laughed bitterly, looking away, "Who said it would be easy? What else am I to do? Azryal won't speak to me. I can't just live off of my title for the rest of my life."

"What of Xanthus? You would just leave him?" Galen asked, his tone had a touch of accusation.

Sakura sighed sadly, "He's the only reason I haven't left already. I don't suppose I could just steal him and take him away with me, could I?"

Galen smirked slightly, "Not if you don't want Azryal's entire army coming after you in a mad rage to claim his only heir to the throne."

Sakura huffed, "He could always get married and have another."

Galen didn't scold her for such a heartless comment because he knew she didn't mean it. It would destroy her if Azryal remarried. But it concerned him greatly that by each day she became darker and darker.

He didn't get the chance to come up with a reasonable response because a servant had just come out of the doors and was jogging their way.

"Looks like they 'need' you again, Galen." Sakura snarked.

It was Galen's turn to sigh as he slowly got to his feet. "Sorry to leave so soon, Sakura. I'll see you after lunch, alright?"

Sakura nodded curtly.

Galen stared at her before smirking, "Please try not to kill yourself out of spite or steal the heir to Saarik and go running off. It'll cause more work for the Saadhia."

Sakura's tinkling laughter followed him as he turned to meet the servant halfway before they both headed back to the palace.

Sakura watched them disappear through the doors, a smile still etched onto her face. After a few seconds had passed by though, it slowly slid off her face. She looked up at the sky, the sunlight still sparkled off the palace beautifully as she ran her gaze over the view.

She waited for another half hour, hoping Xanthus's nursemaids would bring him out into the garden to play but when no one else came through the doors Sakura got to her feet and dusted off her behind. Then she headed to the rock wall where she pressed her hand against the rock, muttering the passage that would open the way to the crystal.

It was another favorite place of hers, ironically.

The crystal was as perfect and shining as ever when she reached the open landing. She gazed at it as she passed by sparing the dark splotch where Radek was supposed to have died a short glance before she settled near the cliff that overlooked the ocean.

The sunlight tinkled over the deep blue water serenely as she took in the sight. She inhaled the salty air deeply before falling backwards onto the hard rock floor, her arms spread above her as she stared up at the sky.

It was slightly cloudy, the sun shining brightly with little coverage. She liked days like these when she could close her eyes and feel the warm sunlight embrace her face. Simple things like this helped her take her mind away from the troubling predicaments she found herself in.

The days passed by much like this one had. Uneventful, slow, and lonely. Each day Galen would try to break away from his Saadhia duties to keep her company but it was getting more difficult as Azryal and his new council kept calling for more frequent meetings every day. She would have liked to spend her free time with Xanthus but Azryal had called on tutors and teachers to start his education. Whenever she would try to visit him, she would be deflected by guards and assistants, insisting she return later after his lessons.

Her blood boiled at their obvious disrespect. It wouldn't bode well for her if the servants and underlings began to notice the rift between them and realize that they didn't owe her as much respect anymore now that Azryal didn't.

Soon, nearly a week had passed by and Sakura became anxious with the prospect of Rene and Riina returning. It was on a cloudy day that word reached the palace that Rene had breached the Wall of Saarik. As soon as Sakura had caught wind of it she had hurried into the kingdom to meet them on their way.

The clouds were dark and heavy, the promise of rain evident. Sakura hurried through stirring winds, goosebumps raising on her arms. She had forgotten to grab her cloak in her room because she had been so excited. Now she regretted it as a particularly strong wind tangled her long hair which was tied in a high ponytail.

It didn't take her long to come across the red-headed siblings. As soon as Riina caught sight of her she pelted forward to engulf her in a strong embrace. There was crying and sobbing and a lot of teasing from Rene's part.

"Rene's told me everything that happened! I can't wait to get my hands on Kyston and Azryal to pummel them to death! How dare they turn their backs on you? After all you've been through for them! You should be celebrated as a _hero_ not cold-shouldered and treated as an outcast! If it weren't for you Xanthus would be brainwashed by now under Radek's control, you would still be enslaved, I would still be twiddling my thumbs in Konoha, not knowing anything, the Saadhia would probably all be dead,"

"Hey I resent that! We wouldn't so easily die!" Rene interrupted childishly but the women ignored him.

"And Azryal would still be stuck in the crystal, completely helpless." Riine finished angrily.

Sakura smiled tearfully at Riina's energetic support of her. She pulled the younger girl to her for another hug just as the clouds above them burst letting flow warm raindrops to soak through their clothes.

They laughed as they pulled apart and Rene whined at them to hurry to find cover. Sakura led the way to a nearby restaurant where they settled in for a late lunch.

"So, what happened to Trina? I told Rene to bring her back." Sakura mildly scolded, giving Rene a hard look as she sipped her hot herbal tea.

Riina smirked at a fumbling Rene before she saved him, "We did find her in Suna but believe it or not she didn't want to return. She sends her condolences but," Riina grinned this time before continuing, "she got married!" She finished with a squeal.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock before she joined in on Riina's excitement. "That's wonderful! She must be so happy!"

Riina nodded before adding, "And she was pregnant! Probably two or three months along."

"I can't believe it. That's such good news." Sakura leaned back in her seat, her tea forgotten as she thought of Trina's happiness in Suna. She had found a new life. She forced down the dark thought of how much suffering she had endured while Trina had been living her happily ever after and she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. Trina was her servant, and a friend as well. She had just abandoned her.

At that thought she shook her head. She couldn't let these thoughts gain strength in her mind. Each day she had felt a slow darkness forming within her and she half-heartedly fought it down. But now that Riina and Rene had returned she felt hopeful that she would be able to battle it down with more vigor.

A few more minutes passed by with mindless chatter between the three of them. Finally, Rene glanced outside and deemed it clear enough for them to return to the palace.

As they drew past the gates that guarded the trail that led up to the palace, Rene began his lecturing.

"And I don't want you around him unless I'm there, you understand?"

Riina gave a dramatic sigh, "Rene, you weren't around for months and I was with him alone countless times."

"And that's exactly why we've found ourselves in this predicament." Rene clipped sternly.

"It doesn't matter what you say, Rene. I'm a big girl, I can make my own decisions. And I've already decided on him." Riina stated haughtily.

"Riina! I'm serious! He's too old for you. Why couldn't you choose someone more around your age?" Rene griped.

"Even if I did you would still be behaving as you are!"

"Behaving how?" Rene nearly screeched, his tone getting higher.

"Complaining about him every second and trying your best to break us up. I'm in love with him and there's nothing you can do to stop it." Riina stuck her nose in the air and walked faster up the trail.

"In _love_ with him? Do you even know the meaning of the word? Get back here, Riina!" Rene shouted, speeding up to catch up with her.

Sakura sighed as she watched the siblings ahead of her. She felt a smile tugging at her lips at how protective Rene was of his sister. He didn't blame her; she was beautiful and completely reckless. She acted on her emotions rather than logic more frequently than was healthy.

As she rounded the corner and came into the open courtyard in front of the towering palace doors the siblings were nowhere to be seen. With a shake of her head she entered the palace.

It seemed quieter than normal and she made her way through the halls to head back to her chambers for a quick bath after being out in the chilly rain. As she passed by the hall that led to the secret passage to the throne room she heard the door open and a familiar voice.

"I heard Rene and Riina just made it back to the palace, bet you're anxious to see the little redhead, eh Galen?" Kyston's playful tone reached her ears and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"And why would I be anxious to see Rene? What are you implying Kyston?" Galen asked dryly, his face emotionless.

Kyston grinned, "You know _exactly_ who I'm speaking of."

Galen didn't reply because it was at that moment that he spotted Sakura at the end of the hall, staring at them. Panic flashed through his dark green orbs before he hid it away.

Kyston noticed his focus of attention and turned to see Sakura standing there. He, too, stopped in his tracks, staring at her with an emotionless mask across his features.

Before any of them could say anything, and before Galen could work quick to warn Sakura to leave quickly, the door to the throne room opened again and Azryal emerged from it with a few other men; two of his council members.

Sakura's eyes widened and her heart constricted when Azryal's golden orbs fell on her. He faltered in his step for a fraction of a second before regaining his natural stride. The council members barely noticed but Sakura did.

She tilted her chin up in defiance as he approached them. The council member on the left noticed her before the other and he greeted her cheerfully, oblivious to the heavy tension. He had been a previous member before Radek took over. He was also in the same cell when Bryn had given her his powers. His name was Riel and he was one of the few of the council who acknowledged her as the Empress. The others, mostly the new members, ignored her after noticing Azryal's cold attitude towards her. The member on Azryal's right was one of those. He gave her a dark look before continuing to discuss something about the gates with Azryal.

Azryal nodded distractedly to what his council member was saying and as they drew level with Sakura, his eyes passed through her and he swiftly walked past her, not even glancing her way again.

Sakura felt her throat constrict, making it hard for her to swallow. She didn't notice the sympathetic look that flitted across Kyston's features before he hardened his emotions again and followed after the Emperor.

When their fading footsteps grew faint, Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and loosened the fist her hands had made.

"Are you alright?" Galen asked softly.

"No." She stated bitterly.

Without another word the pair of them started walking down the hall together.

"Have you seen Riina yet?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence, wanting to forget what had just happened.

"No, not yet. We were in a meeting when a servant brought news that Rene and Riina had just arrived at the palace. I was going to see her now, would you like to come?"

Sakura shook her head, "No thanks. I feel tired all of a sudden. I'll see you later." When she reached the door to her chambers, she turned back to face Galen with a mischievous grin, "Be careful of Rene by the way. He's out for your blood."

Galen let a slight smirk tug at his lips, "I'd like to see him try anything."

They laughed together and when Sakura had closed the door, Galen's smirk slid off his face. The forced laughter was too obvious on the Empress and he felt his heart sink once more at how different she had become.

On the other side of the door, Sakura's smile similarly slid off her face as she made her way to her bathroom. She took a long bath, drawing it herself since she still had no servant to do so. She didn't mind. She had always hated having Trina do things for her anyway. After the bath she dressed in a simple outfit as usual. A sheer tan robe that flowed to her ankles and hooked around her neck. It left her arms bare and a slit on one side let glimpses of her left leg be seen as she walked. She left off any accessories or makeup, instead just tying her damp hair in a messy bun on top of her head.

It was nearing dinner now as she slid out of her chambers in silence to make her way down the hall. She pressed her ear to a door and when she heard muffled voices she opened it without knocking.

It had been nearly a week since Sakura had seen Xanthus due to the evasive guards and tutors who kept her from him. When she entered his room, he was alone with his two nursemaids.

They were apparently trying to dress Xanthus after a bath but when they saw her they stopped.

"Mama!" Xanthus squealed, running half-dressed to hug her legs.

She smiled warmly down at him before looking at the maids, "I'll finish dressing him. You're dismissed."

They bowed low to her and hurriedly left the room, not saying a word.

When the door closed behind them Sakura knelt down and pulled Xanthus into a tight hug. She tried hard to force the tears back but when he hugged her back she felt the hot tears spill onto her cheeks. When Xanthus noticed he pulled back slightly, his pale eyebrows crinkled.

"Don't cry, Mama." Xanthus said softly. Her heart wrenched at the mature concern she heard in his voice. He wiped her tears away and she gave him a watery smile.

He had stopped asking what was wrong because she had never answered. He was too smart for his age and he had worked it out for himself. He hadn't seen his father seek his mother out since the day they had been reunited. He knew it had to do with the man named Radek.

Sakura helped Xanthus finish dressing while they chatted happily about nothing at all. She mentioned Riina was back and they agreed to see her later together. Xanthus was dressed in a miniature outfit of Azryal's. He had on white poofy pants with an embroidered vest with purple satin and white and gold beads and other colorful thread. White cloth shoes completed the outfit.

Sakura smoothed back his pale white-blond locks from his forehead and he was gazing up at her with adoring golden orbs so like his father's.

"Are you coming to dinner, Mama?" He asked quietly.

Sakura smiled sadly. "Not tonight, Xanthus. I'll walk you there though." At his protests she shushed him, "I can't tonight, sweetheart. Please don't fight me on this."

He immediately stopped begging her and followed her out of his room, his small hand clasped in hers.

On the way there they ran into his two nursemaids on their way to fetch him. She told him to go with them, that she would return to her room. She kissed his cheek and he didn't wipe it off like he used to. He hugged her around her neck and kissed her cheek too before following the maids to the large dining hall.

She watched him disappear down the hall before heading back to her room. She took her dinner there, like she usually did, before climbing into bed and forcing herself to sleep.

The next couple of weeks passed by more pleasantly now that Rene and Riina had returned. Galen didn't feel the stress of having to leave Sakura alone because now Riina could keep her company while Rene and himself were at meetings.

Rene had grudgingly allowed Riina to see Galen after Galen had uncharacteristically threatened to duel him. Riina had been so thrilled at the idea of Galen fighting for her that she didn't leave his side for days, gushing over him, much to Rene's chagrin.

The only thing putting a damper to Sakura's days lately had been the frequent feelings of nausea and that morning she had woken up in alarm, rushing to the bathroom to throw up what little she had eaten the night before.

A slow sense of panic had been creeping through her at this new development. It had been happening for the past week and a dreadful thought had been plaguing her mind. She refused to voice it lest it come true but there was no stopping her mind from torturing herself with the possibility of it happening.

It would ruin what little stability she had woven for herself in the palace.

As the days went on and the nausea didn't pass her panic began to grow. Riina was starting to notice and she had asked her what was bothering her but she refused to voice her suspicions.

When her period didn't come when it was supposed to she decided it was time for her to evaluate her body.

That night she ran a basic diagnostic over herself with her power. She felt it running through her veins as her power made its quick way to her womb. When it arrived she engulfed it in her power, feeling its warmth fill her.

And there, in her womb she felt a tiny palpitation; a heartbeat. The heartbeat of another life within her.

She felt her blood run cold and her heart nearly stuttered to a stop at the realization that Radek had impregnated her.

She sat on the floor of her bedchambers for what seemed like hours, nearly in shock.

What was she to do now? If anyone found out that she carried the child of the most traitorous bastard in Saarik's history she would surely be exiled, or _killed_.

There would be no chance of ever working things through with Azryal.

_'Not like there was much chance of it now, anyway.'_ She thought darkly.

She couldn't sleep for the rest of the night and when morning came and she met Riina for breakfast, the younger girl had exclaimed in shock at the dark circles under her eyes.

She had self-consciously turned away, muttering that she had been feeling sick again and couldn't sleep well.

Riina hadn't pushed on the subject but Sakura kept catching her sending her worried looks.

The next few days Sakura had fallen deeper and deeper into herself, not even Riina's girlish excitement or even Xanthus's happy voice could bring her out of it.

"Sakura, you have to tell me what's been eating away at you." Riina pleaded seriously.

The two women were sitting in the palace garden under the camphor tree. It was a little after noon and the sky was shady with big, fluffy clouds. It was a beautiful day but Sakura had barely taken any notice.

"It's noth-"

"Don't you _dare_ tell me it's nothing." Riina cut off angrily.

Sakura sighed before lifting her gaze to meet Riina's fiery one.

In the full light of the bright sunlight Riina could see Sakura's full face clearly. Upon close inspection, Riina bit back a gasp at her dull green eyes and dark bags under her eyes. Her cheeks were nearly hollow and she was an unhealthy pasty white.

"Sakura, what's happened to you?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders weakly.

Riina place her hand over the older one's clenched fist. "Tell me."

Sakura wasn't planning on telling anyone that she was pregnant, it would have been easier that way. But at Riina's soft pleading, the sound of her concern was so strong that Sakura was surprised to feel hot tears sliding down her cheeks and before she knew what she was saying she was spilling all of it out to Riina.

"You're...p-pregnant. You're pregnant with.." Riina trailed off, refusing to say Radek's name as if not saying it would make it less true.

Sakura nodded curtly, her fists tightening again in her lap.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Riina broke it.

"What will you do? You can't keep it!" She stated alarmingly.

"What can I do? I know I can't keep it. I don't even _want_ to keep it." Sakura replied, staring down at the grass.

"You have to go to a doctor. Get rid of it." Riina stated in a rush, feeling guilty at telling someone to kill a helpless, innocent child.

Sakura shook her head, "I can't let anyone know of this. Azryal will find out as soon as it left my lips."

Riina had no other words of advice and not long after they spotted Galen and Rene enter the garden through the large doors and all talk of Sakura's predicament came to a halt.

A few days later the Saadhia had finished early with their meetings and work and Galen had a bit of free time to spend with Riina. Riina had reluctantly left Sakura, her worried gaze causing Galen to look between the two women. At Sakura's stern stare Riina had changed it quickly to a bright smile and had pulled Galen off with her to the path that led to the kingdom below before he started asking questions. Rene was stuck with Kyston and Xanthus had his lessons. So, for the first time in nearly a month, Sakura was alone, sitting on the cliff overlooking the ocean, the crystal shining brightly behind her.

She had a hand pressed to her stomach. She could vaguely feel the tiny heartbeat of the life inside her womb and she curled her fingers in the cloth covering her belly. She had been stressing over what she had to do. She knew if she kept it, and had the baby, everyone would know it wasn't Azryal's. They would know within the instant they noticed her swelling stomach that she carried Radek's child.

But if she aborted it, she would be going against her morals; killing a _baby_ that had done nothing wrong to deserve it. Not to mention that she would be putting her own life at risk, for she would be aborting it herself; not trusting any doctor with the knowledge that she carried a bastard child. That the _Empress_ was pregnant with someone other than the _Emperor's_ child. Word would reach Azryal within seconds.

No amount of discussing her two options with Riina had helped at all. It had only lessened the stress and worry a bit by spilling it all to another person. But now she was here, alone, and she needed to make a decision. If she let too much time pass by the child within her would grow and grow and it would become more difficult to make a decision. Also, the risk of aborting it would become too great.

She shut her eyes tightly, making up her mind. She felt the hot tears burning her eyes before they seeped through her tightly shut eyelids. She took a deep, steadying breath, and swiftly poofed herself back to her bedchambers so as not to run into anyone. The sun was slowly setting, coloring the sky in vibrant shades of pink and orange. It shone through the sheer curtains that were pulled across the entrance to her balcony.

She ignored the beautiful sight as she made her way to the bathroom. She sat on the cold tiles and closed her eyes again. She didn't give it a second thought as she pressed her power into her again. She knew if she thought about it she would hesitate and probably change her mind.

So, she expertly guided her power streams to her womb where the soft beating of the child's heart was and clenching her jaw she shot her power at it. It wrapped tightly around the baby's heart. Her baby.

She felt it beat frantically before it didn't beat at all. Her power had wrapped around it so tightly that it was dead within seconds. And not a moment after a sickening flash of pain shot through her womb and she doubled over on the cold tiles. Wave after wave of mind-numbing pain washed over her and she couldn't stop the howls of pain that escaped from her throat.

She didn't hear the banging on her bedroom door, nor the loud footsteps as Riina and Galen burst into the bathroom to find her curled on the tile, screaming in pain with blood pooling beneath her.

* * *

Azryal had no idea where his life was heading. He had seriously ruined things between him and his wife.

The guilt tore through him like a blade and he had no idea how to right things. Whenever he made up his mind that he would go to her and beg for forgiveness, his body would freeze up, his pride and the faint betrayal he had felt would well up inside him and he would swiftly turn on his heel and return to his study.

After his initial fury at what had transpired between Sakura and Radek had subsided he had been able to think and reason on why she had done it. And with the cold realization that he had messed things up horribly he had buried himself in rebuilding his Empire instead of rebuilding his family which was the biggest mistake he could have ever made.

Whenever he saw her his heart would stiffen in shame at what he had caused her to go through and he would look away and treat her so coldly that even he didn't know he was capable of such cold-blooded arrogance.

Only when Kyston came to him one day with such shocking news did his full jealous rage return and all thoughts of mending his relationship with Sakura fled his mind.

"She's pregnant." Kyston stated bluntly.

After a long silence, Azryal responded, "Would you mind elaborating?"

At Azryal's dry tone Kyston furrowed his brows, "Your _wife_ is pregnant. It obviously isn't yours, but that's only an assumption." Kyston mocked.

"Where did you hear this?" Azryal asked sharply, his golden eyes fastening onto Kyston's blue ones.

"I heard Riina telling Galen not too long ago. They didn't know I was there and she sounded near desperate for help." Kyston explained.

Azryal nodded distractedly before a long silence ensued.

"What are you going to do?" Kyston asked hesitantly.

"Leave."

"Leave? But why would you leave your own kingdom?" Kyston asked loudly, annoyance making its way into his tone.

"Not me, you fool. Leave me now. I want to be alone." Azryal snapped angrily.

Kyston's eyes widened before he nodded curtly and left as quickly as he had come.

Azryal sat in his study, brooding over the news that his wife was pregnant with Radek's child, no doubt.

He wouldn't be able to bear it if she decided to keep it. To have the offspring of Saarik's greatest enemy living in the palace, growing up alongside Xanthus was such a preposterous thought that Azryal nearly laughed at the idea.

He wouldn't force her to abort it if she didn't want to. He would go talk to her, explain that if she wanted to keep it she would have to leave the palace and Xanthus behind. And never return.

His heart clenched at the thought but he hardened himself against it and rose from his seat to seek her out.

It never occurred to him for one second that Sakura might want to abort it herself.

But before he could leave his study his door burst open and Riina stormed in with Galen and Kyston close behind her.

To his shock, she was covered in blood, and so was Galen.

"What's going on here? Riina, are you hurt?" Azryal asked in alarm, stepping around his desk in a rush.

"Stay where you are, you bastard!"

"_Riina!" _Galen scolded in shock, drowning out Kyston's hard intake of breath at her audacity.

Galen had a hold on her upper arm but she roughly shook him off, tears of anger apparent in her eyes. She turned on Azryal again.

"She almost _died_ and you're sitting here in your study, feeling sorry for yourself." Riina accused.

"What are you talking about?" Azryal was feeling a little out of it, everyone seemed to be talking about things he should know, but didn't.

"Do you even know what's going on in your own palace?" Riina mocked pitilessly.

"No, so tell me what's going on, Riina." Annoyance was making its way into his tone at the younger girl's haughty manner.

Kyston closed the door and moved to the side, ready to listen to what she had to say too. Galen stayed close behind her, ready to restrain her in case she decided she wanted to lunge at the Emperor.

"Sakura, as you must know, is pregnant." She glared at Kyston at that bit.

Kyston paled. Azryal threw a knowing glance at him before returning his gaze to Riina. Apparently Kyston left out the part where he was found out by the couple and had made a slim escape back to the palace to tell the Emperor.

"Yes, I do. But only recently. A few minutes ago, actually. What of it?" He drawled.

Fury flashed through Riina's lavender eyes again at his nonchalant response, "You just found out your wife is pregnant with someone else's child and all you can say is 'what of it'?" She nearly screeched.

Galen put a restraining had on her shoulder and she visibly calmed, although the anger didn't leave her demeanor.

"Just say what you have to say, Riina." Azryal ordered in a hard tone.

She clenched her jaw before continuing, "Alright fine. Tonight Galen and myself found your wife bleeding to death on the floor of her bathroom after attempting to abort this child of your enemy on her own." She finished calmly, her eyes cold and hard.

All anger and arrogance drained instantly from Azryal at this revelation. Although he refused to interact with her in any way, Azryal knew his wife inexplicably, down to every dark thought to every hopeful ambition. He knew her strong objections to abortion, hearing her say it more than once that she had refused numerous jobs that involved abortion when she had worked in the hospital in Konoha. He never would have thought for one second that she would abort her own child for any reason. Of course, this was before Radek had ruined their lives. He didn't know much about how much Sakura had changed through her ordeal with Radek, how many of her morals had been violated or how much terror she had been put through enough to change her ideals.

He hadn't helped her any at all.

Kyston broke through his thoughts.

"Where is she now? Is she alright?" The worry and panic in his voice was evident.

Riina turned cold, scary eyes on him, "Why the _fuck_ would you care, Kyston? Neither of you deserve to know anything about her! When she recovers I hope she leaves this hellhole, and I'm going with her. And good riddance to the both of you. I only told _you_ anything," she said to Azryal, "to make sure you feel as much regret as possible. I hope you feel _half _as shitty and hopeless as that brave woman felt during these couple of months. Fuck you and goodbye." Riina nearly yelled as she finished.

And with that she turned on her heel and shoved past Galen and flung the door open before slamming it shut behind her. Her hard footsteps could be heard fading down the hallway.

When it was silent again, Galen turned back to the both of them.

"I apologize for the manner in which Riina delivered this news but I don't apologize for what she said. I would like you to know, your highness," Azryal looked at Galen in shock, he never called him 'highness', none of his Saadhia did, "that I will be resigning from the Saadhia if Sakura decides to leave. I will go with her and Riina. I am sorry for any inconvenience but I no longer agree with your views." Galen finished neutrally.

Kyston stared at Galen in silence, shock and guilt mingling together.

Azryal didn't even realize when Galen bowed regally to him and turned to leave the room in a much more dignified manner than his counterpart had.

When the door closed shut behind him Azryal seemed to snap out of his trance and he looked up at his nearly empty study.

He looked over at a silent Kyston who met his eyes, shame and guilt evident in their depths. He was sure his mirrored them.

Without a word Azryal swiftly headed out of his study, Kyston staring after him before rushing to catch up.

Azryal grabbed the nearest servant, "Where's my wife?" He asked stiffly.

"E-Excuse me, your highness?" The servant bumbled in confusion.

With a growl, Azryal shook the servant a little, "The Empress, where is she?"

"I-I assume in her ch-chambers, your highness!" The servant cowered as Azryal shoved passed him.

"She's probably in the infirmary, Azryal. No need to scare the shit out of the servants." Kyston stated softly.

Azryal could sense his worry so he didn't turn on Kyston angrily. He just continued in silence, headed for the infirmary.

When they arrived, they knew they assumed right due to the bustling of the nurses. When the nearby nurses noticed who had just barged in they nearly fell in a panic trying to keep hold of all their materials as they bowed hastily to him. Azryal brushed off their actions and marched straight to the only patient room with a closed door. He didn't bother knocking, he just walked right in.

Riina immediately shot to her feet to start screeching at them to leave but Galen restrained her successfully this time. Rene was there as well, and for the first time in Azryal's life, the redhead glared at him.

And there on the coffee colored sheets was a very pale and sickly version of his wife, Sakura. Her long pink hair was loose and wild around her, tangled and unbrushed. She was wearing a white shift that was barely visible under the light sheets covering her body. Her pasty cheeks were sunken and dark against her pale skin. She was sleeping at the moment. She looked almost peaceful. His heart tugged at the sight of her.

"Everyone out." He ordered, not taking his eyes from her.

"You have the _gall_ to order us-" Riina was cut off by Galen.

"Riina, let him have a moment." Galen said before leading her out of the room.

Rene followed in silence, glaring at the floor as he passed Azryal and Kyston, obviously refraining from looking at them lest his rare anger burst forth.

Kyston was the last to leave, glancing between the silent Emperor and his unconscious Empress. He needed just as much forgiveness as Azryal did. It was difficult for him to keep from rushing to Sakura's side, begging for her to forgive him. He clenched his fist and closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone together.

When the door closed shut Azryal sagged, letting all his emotions rush out of him after trying his best to keep it bottled up in front of the others.

He felt unbidden tears burning his eyes as he pulled up a seat next to the bed and finally looked down at his once vibrant wife. He had done this to her, driven her so far down that she was now a hollow shell of what she once was.

He couldn't imagine how much pain and suffering she had to endure on her own because he had been too stubborn to forgive her.

He reached for her hand and the tears flowed forth when he felt how clammy and still it was. He pressed her limp fingers to his forehead and cried silently, his shoulders shaking in his quiet sobs.

He only noticed that she had stirred when he felt her hand stiffen against his forehead. He stilled immediately.

She tried to speak but her voice was so hoarse and cracked that she stopped abruptly, pulling her hand weakly from his and reaching over to the side table for the glass of water he hadn't noticed before.

He watched her press the glass to her pale lips that were gray from the loss of blood. She drank nearly all of it before placing it back on the table. He had wiped away his tears quickly while she drank and now he straightened as she turned to face him. She sat up weakly. He jerked forward slightly, intent on helping her but he held back, afraid that she might recoil from him.

When she was sitting up fully, she spoke, "What are you doing here?"

Her voice was still hoarse but it didn't crack again.

He swallowed before answering, "I heard what happened. I came to see you." He didn't meet her eyes, instead he stared at a loose thread on her bedsheets. He had to try hard to refrain from fidgeting with it.

She stared at him for a long time before heaving a sigh and leaning back against the headboard. "If I knew this would happen, I would have tried killing myself ages ago." She remarked darkly.

"Don't joke about such things." He reprimanded softly, looking up to see her staring at him.

"I'm not joking. You haven't spoken to me in _months, _Azryal. And now you heard I almost died and all of a sudden you're here, crying over my unconscious body as if I were dead."

"What would you have preferred I do? Act as if I didn't care?" He asked, miffed by her reaction.

Sakura laughed bitterly, "Yeah, that wouldn't be too hard, right? You've had months of practice, after all!"

"Sakura, I didn't come here to argue with you." Azryal tried to reason, a little taken aback by her dark attitude.

"Then what did you come here for? To find out how I had almost died? Well, let me tell you, Azryal. I tried to abort my own baby. What do you have to say about that?" She asked harshly.

Azryal felt his anger start to boil at her harsh tone, "I already knew of this, Sakura. This is my palace after all. I know the goings on within it."

She looked surprised at this remark and looked away quickly.

Azryal settled down again at her reaction.

"I wasn't expecting that." She mumbled.

Azryal felt a slight smile tug at his lips but he forced it away. They sat in silence, Azryal leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped in front of him and Sakura with her head bent staring at her folded hands in her lap.

"What now?" Sakura finally broke the silence with her soft voice.

Azryal looked up at her.

When he didn't respond, Sakura furrowed her brow, her eyes becoming glassy as she continued, "I'll understand if you want me out of the palace. It's been long enough. I'll sign whatever papers to release you from our marriage. And Xanthus-" She choked on his name and the tears she was trying to hold back spilled from her downcast eyes and she pressed her hands to her face as her silent sobs racked her body.

Azryal watched her, his heart wrenching, as she bent over trying her hardest to gain control but only causing the sobs to come harder until she was heaving and hiccuping.

Azryal felt his own tears burn his eyes again as he made his decision and stood from the chair. Without a second thought he moved onto the bed and pulled her gently into his arms. She resisted by pushing away from him but he insisted and instead pulled her roughly to him. When she struggled against him he buried his face in her hair and held her to his chest.

When he wouldn't give into her struggles for release she collapsed against him in exhaustion and her muffled sobs reached his ears as she buried her face into his robes.

When her sobs had subsided and she lay quiet against him, Azryal deemed it time to break the silence.

"Sakura," He started.

He stopped when she pushed against him to look up at him. He was surprised to find her green orbs filled with anger.

"Don't." She ordered.

"Don't what?" He asked roughly.

"Don't you dare start apologizing for how you acted. If me almost dying made you decide that you needed to apologize then I don't want to hear it." She pushed at his chest and straightened to glare at him more properly.

"Sakura, you almost dying did, I have to admit, play a big part in my decision, but it only made me realize that I was acting like a fool for something that you did in order to save me." Azryal tried to explain but was again cut off.

"Wrong. I did those things in order to save my son. To get him out of that insane bastard's influence." Sakura corrected, almost childishly as she crossed her arms and looked away.

Azryal smiled slightly before leaning forward, "If that were true you would have just killed him that night instead of finding out how to get to the crystal. And don't even try to deny it."

When she didn't, his smile widened.

"Won't you just listen to my apology?" he asked again as he reached up to push a loose strand of her pink hair behind her ear.

Sakura stiffened before jerking her head away from his touch and shoving his hand away with the back of hers. She turned her glare back onto him.

"And then what? Fall into your arms as if nothing happened?"

"That would be nice, yes." Azryal joked.

When Sakura didn't laugh, the teasing smile fell from his face, realizing his error. He was acting as if what she had been through was no big deal. And it was pissing her off greatly.

"Get out."

"Sakura, I'm not-"

"_Get out_!" She nearly screeched.

He stood up angrily, "I am _not_ leaving until we work this out Sakura! I want you back! I don't care how long it takes for you to forgive me but I will never turn my back on you again!"

Instead of softening at his words like he had hoped, Sakura's anger seemed to increase tenfold.

She pushed back the sheets and stood up on shaky legs. Her shift had rode up to her hips but she didn't care as she pushed his hands away that had tried to help steady her.

She jabbed a finger in his chest before shouting, "How could I ever trust you again after what you did? Azryal I was alone for _months_! You treated me like scum, I was an outcast in my own home! I wasn't allowed to see my own son! You will never know what that feels like! Strangers telling you that you cannot see your own child!"

At a loss for words, Azryal just stood there, his eyes filled with guilt and shame.

"Sakura, I had no idea they wouldn't let you see Xanthus." He admitted before she could go on.

"It doesn't matter if you knew or not. Everyone picked up on how you were treating me and they lost their respect for me as their Empress. It was as much your doing as anyone else's." She accused.

"Sakura," Azryal pleaded.

"Azryal, please just leave." Sakura sounded tired now, resigned.

"I won't." He refused stubbornly.

Another flash of anger flitted across her green orbs as she turned to him again, but this time her words were stated calmly, making sure to drive the knife in deep, "Azryal, I slept with Radek. Even if I only went to him willingly _once_, I still did it. I betrayed you and carried his child for months. I'm a whore, a slut, and a traitor. So _leave me alone_."

Azryal knew what she was doing; she was trying to anger him enough to storm out of the room. But he wasn't going anywhere. A new revelation had just been revealed, "You never told me you only went to him willingly once."

She gave him a strange look, "Yes I did. I told you the first time I was able to speak to you after 'that' day. It's official now that you weren't listening. You never listened to me."

Azryal ignored her accusations, his guilt firing up in him again. Of course he wouldn't listen to her; he was so furious that he didn't want to speak to anyone for days. And he wasn't just furious with her, but also with himself for not being strong enough to get out of the crystal on his own and save his wife and son from the hands of that sick bastard. He had been furious with his Saadhia and soldiers as well for being helpless when his own wife had to sacrifice everything for the sake of Saarik.

"Why only once? You made it seem as if you were together numerous times." He stated, keeping calm as he refused to acknowledge that they were discussing how many times his wife had slept with his enemy.

"I only went to him once to invade his mind to figure out how to get to the crystal and you. Which I succeeded in but at a great cost. And I made it 'seem' like it was numerous times because he raped me once before I went to him and then after he caught me red-handed in his mind he made me into his puppet and kept me as a sex slave. I'm assuming it was during that time that he impregnated me." She finished bitterly, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Azryal fell into his previously vacated chair in shock.

"I'm a fool." He muttered to himself in disbelief. If only he had sucked it up and listened to her they would have avoided all of this senseless behavior.

"I'm glad you finally realized it." Sakura muttered in reply. She jumped when he looked up at her sharply.

"Sakura, please forgive me, I beg of you! I messed up and I am willing to undergo any type of punishment to prove to you how much I am sorry. I want us back together."

"That's not going to happen. I don't want to see you right now, Azryal. If you want my punishment for you, then leave. And don't speak to me again until I come to you." Sakura said coldly.

Azryal furrowed his brow in annoyance and stood up again, "That's not good enough."

"Oh well so sorry it isn't up to your level of punishment, your _highness_, but those are my terms." Sakura mocked.

"I'm not leaving you until you forgive me." Azryal stubbornly insisted.

Sakura threw her hands up in the air in exasperation before turning on him angrily, "Get _out_ Azryal! I can't stand to look at you right now! Leave me alone!" She shouted so loud and so much pure anger filled her that tears poured down her face again. She curled her fists in Azryal's shirt and tried tugging him towards the door but he didn't budge an inch.

He covered her shaking fists with his own large hands and she let go of him so quick that it was as if she were scalded with fire.

The door had flown open at her shouts and Riina and the Saadhia rushed in. Riina started yelling at Azryal to leave her alone just as Sakura collapsed on the floor, her body giving out.

Chaos ensued as Galen and Rene tried to stop Riina from grabbing hold of Azryal and Kyston had been pushed aside as the head healer pushed past him to see what all the ruckus was about.

Azryal stood silent until he saw that the healer was trying to call for order. With a loud, strong voice Azryal shouted, "Silence!" and everyone shut their mouths instantly.

Then he turned to the healer, "Grien, please help Sakura back to bed."

Grien, an old healer with a bald head and a long gray beard, the point of which reach past his navel nodded his head to Azryal before gently helping a silent Sakura up. He guided her to the bed and pulled the sheets back over her legs before turning back to the guests in the room.

His voice was calm and wise as he addressed everyone, "Sakura has lost a lot of blood, she should not be roused so energetically lest she should injure herself greatly. Please refrain from, how should I put it, _exciting_ her too much." He smiled cheerfully but everyone could recognize the stern lines on his face that suggested he wasn't pleased at all.

Azryal nodded, "Right so everyone out."

Everyone gaped at the Emperor, except for Sakura who threw him a vicious glare.

But Grien turned slowly to the Emperor, his cheerful smile still in place, "That goes for you too, your highness."

Everyone's mouths fell open even more at the healer's audacity. Sakura's glare turned to a smug grin when she saw Azryal's surprised look.

"I'm not leaving, Grien." Azryal insisted.

Grien, who was nearly over a hundred years old, had been around as the palace Healer from the time before Azryal's father was Emperor. He was friends with Azryal's grandfather and he was one of the few who could speak to the Emperor as just an elder speaking to a younger pupil. Sakura had been surprised and very pleased to see that he had survived Radek's rule. Grien had told her that he was one of the first to be evacuated, despite his insistence that all healers stay behind to help the injured.

"Your highness, she is not well. You have caused her to overexert herself. Not two hours ago she was on the threshold to death, and she hasn't had any time at all to recover. If I leave you here you might end up taking her there yourself with your stubborn insisting." Grien stated in, not a reprimanding sort of way, but in a cheerful order.

Azryal shook his head, "I apologize, Grien, but I refuse to leave her."

Grien stared up at Azryal for a few seconds before opening his mouth to object again but Sakura cut him off.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you right now, Azryal. Please just listen to Grien and leave." Sakura bit out. Riina was nodding approvingly but the Saadhia all had different expressions. Kyston was watching Sakura with such grief in his eyes that it looked like he were about to cry. Rene was looking back and forth between Azryal and Sakura, as if wanting them to just make up already. Galen was stoic and unreadable as ever.

As if he didn't hear a word that Sakura just said, Azryal settled back into his chair and leaned back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Sakura grit her teeth before looking to Grien helplessly.

Grien turned one more time to Azryal, "Your highness, please be reasonable."

"Grien, do not forget that I am your Emperor. I am staying, and that is final. Now, everyone out beside the healers." Azryal stated firmly.

Grien immediately shut his mouth and Riina's eyes grew so wide, they looked almost bulbous. She opened her mouth to object but Galen got a hold of her and guided her out of the room, rather smoothly despite her enthusiastic struggling.

Rene frowned deeply before giving Sakura a helpless smile and turning around to leave. Kyston bowed his head to Azryal's general direction, avoiding Sakura's gaze, and turned to follow Rene out.

Grien quietly set about running a diagnostic over Sakura under Azryal's silent presence. She thought to object but didn't, knowing it was useless at this point. A little while later Grien pulled away and told Sakura to rest before turning to leave but Azryal stopped him.

"How is she?"

Grien turned back slowly to face the Emperor.

"She's doing fine. No damage due to her earlier exertions. But she really needs her rest."

Azryal nodded, and a short silence ensued. He looked as if he were contemplating something deeply, before he finally stated with a firm voice, "I want to move her to my chambers."

He was met with complete silence.

Grien blinked slowly a few times before clearing his throat, "Your highness, the Empress's body is, how must I say this, not up to any _extra_ exertions and won't be for a while. Please, I am begging you, allow her to rest. By the end of the week I am sure her body will be up to-"

Grien stopped speaking when he heard Sakura's fumbling. He turned old pale eyes to the young woman to find her blushing profusely and waving her hand in the air.

"You don't have to worry about those 'extra' exertions, Grien, I will _not_ be partaking in any of them any time soon." Sakura hastily said.

Azryal fought his grin down, "I was not talking about anything indecent, you two. I just think she will be more comfortable in a proper bed than here."

"And why the _hell_ would I feel more comfortable in _your_ bed? Why not just put me back in my room?" Sakura huffed.

Azryal crinkled his brows at her, "Because it's about time you returned to _our_ chambers, Sakura!"

"It hasn't been 'our' chambers for _months_, Azryal!" She nearly shouted.

"Sakura, please calm down." Grien reminded before facing Azryal, "You are the Emperor, whatever you say will be done." Grien didn't say it respectfully, but almost spitefully.

Azryal nodded, feeling slightly bad for his earlier comment.

"I will get someone to come help move her." Grien said while turning to the door.

"I will not be going." Sakura grit out.

"Don't worry, Grien, I will move her myself."

"_What!_" Sakura screeched.

"Excuse me, your highness, but there are plenty of men out-"

"I will move her myself." Azryal cut in as he stood and moved closer to the bed.

Sakura recoiled away, glaring harshly at him.

"If you _dare_ touch me I will-" She warned.

"Sakura, one way or the other, I am taking you back to our bed. Struggle all you want, you will only injure yourself further." Azryal said cheerfully as he bent over her.

He pulled the covers off of her legs and reached for her arms but she swatted him away.

"Sakura." He ground out before snatching her arms and pulling her to him. She immediately started struggling, and when she saw that wasn't working she tried becoming dead weight, flopping down, but it only helped him as he swiftly whisked her off the bed and into his arms against his chest.

By this time she was squealing and shouting and kicking her legs and pushing away from his chest. He managed to shout at Grien to open the door.

When he entered the waiting area Riina and the Saadhia all shot to their feet. Riina looked completely shocked, Rene looked worried, Galen looked emotionless, and Kyston looked hopeful, until he saw that Sakura was kicking and screaming.

"What the hell are you doing, Azryal! Put her back! Where are you taking her?" Riina screamed at him, running up to his side and smoothly dodging Galen's restraining hands.

"Back to our room. It's been long enough. Do not interfere, Riina." Azryal shot her a serious look and continued out of the infirmary.

They heard Riina state in alarm, "What did he mean 'long enough'? I hope he didn't mean-" But she was cut off as the door swung shut.

When Sakura realized no one would stand up to Azryal, she slowly stopped struggling, her body growing tired. She reluctantly leaned against his chest, panting slightly.

"You see? You over did it again." He quietly admonished.

"Shut up." She replied.

They marched through the palace halls, the guards and passing servants stopping to stare open-mouthed. Soon, word would reach the entire palace that the Emperor and Empress seemed to have made up.

When Azryal reached their chambers he managed to open the door with great difficulty, nearly dropping Sakura who quickly used this as an excuse to abuse him loudly again.

She immediately shut up when he approached their bed, the bed she hadn't slept in nor seen for months. The door heavily swung shut behind them as Azryal moved closer to the bed with all the lush blankets and pillows. He gently laid Sakura over the blanket, her shift indecently caught around her hips again.

Sakura watched in horror as she watched his eyes drop down to her legs and she quickly adjusted the blanket to cover herself. When he met her eyes and saw her pink cheeks, she glared at him again.

"What now? You going to rape me?" Sakura bit out angrily.

Azryal's anger flared at her words and he glared down at her, "Don't be a fool." And he turned to enter the adjoining bathroom. He slammed the door shut behind him and stayed in there for nearly an hour.

Sakura thought '_good riddance_' and crawled up the bed that was sprawled in the middle of the room. She settled into the comfortable cushions and pulled the heavy, warm blankets around her. Despite the slight guilt she felt about mocking him with something so offensive, she managed to doze off rather quickly. She was exhausted.

Her mind was cloudy with sleep when Azryal emerged from the bathroom. She came to her senses so quickly it was like she was splashed with a bucket of cold water. She peeked at Azryal and saw that he wore a pair of dark gray poofy pants low on his hips and he was bare-chested. His hair was damp from his bath and trickles of water were still running its leisurely way down his taut muscles. He was drying his long silver hair with a white fluffy towel as he walked to a pair of comfy chairs and looked down at some papers on the small table in between them.

She couldn't believe that she was lusting after him when she was supposed to be angry with him. But it had been a very, very, very long time since she had been with him. Before all this happened she had missed him terribly, aching for him and helpless.

When she realized he was making his way towards the bed she quickly shut her eyes and feigned sleep. She didn't see Azryal's slight smirk as he crawled onto the bed and settled not too far from where she was lying. The smell of the perfumed soap he had used reached her nose and she inhaled it despite herself. She could make out his distinct musky scent beneath it and she tightened her hold on the blanket.

After a while she noticed there wasn't any movement on his part and she risked another peek. He was closer than she had expected, right on the pillow next to hers, actually. His still damp hair was splayed out around him and he had his eyes closed. The blankets only came up to his hips so she had a rather close view of his muscular chest and perfect features. She stared at him for a long time before his voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"If you keep staring at me like that I'm going to get the wrong idea." Azryal said huskily. He turned his head towards her, his amber orbs meeting her emerald ones. His features were completely serious, no joking light in his eyes or playful grin.

She couldn't help the blush that crept up her neck to brush her cheeks. Without a word she turned over so her back was to him and shut her eyes tight.

She felt his heavy gaze poring into the back of her head and surprisingly, she felt hot tears once again burn her eyes. The salty liquid squeezed out beneath her eyelids and she cursed her weakness.

Azryal didn't dare touch her despite knowing that she was crying. Her soft sniffles were an obvious enough indication. He had to fight hard not to pull her into his arms but it was too soon. She would no doubt stiffen and maybe even resist. He could't risk it and instead watched her silently, listening to her cry into her pillow.

He knew why she was crying, of course. She was crying because of where they found themselves. They had been so deeply in love and now look at them. It was as if they barely knew each other.

He bit the inside of his cheek and closed his eyes, wishing sleep would find him fast.

* * *

The following morning Azryal woke with the warm body of Sakura pressed against his chest. His breath caught in his throat when he opened his eyes and looked down to see her head tucked into the crook between his neck and shoulder. Her hair was lightly scented of jasmine and it was filling his senses, tickling his nose. She had a hand curled on his bare chest and she was breathing evenly, still fast asleep. He glanced down and what he saw made him quickly put his head back down. The blankets had been kicked away during the night and her shift had, once again, rose up to around her waist and her bare legs were pressed against the side of his.

He swallowed hard, already feeling his body growing tight and he looked up to the ceiling as if willing his body under control. It didn't work.

"Sakura." He whispered, half-hoping that she would wake up and push away from him.

She didn't budge.

Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to slip out from underneath her without waking her up. Apparently she had been incredibly tired because she didn't stir at all. With a sigh of relief he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Why the hell did he insist on her sleeping here in the first place?

After Azryal had dressed and left Sakura began to slowly wake up. She blinked blearily around her and with a shock she remembered where she was. She flopped back onto the pillow just as the door opened and Grien hobbled in.

He smiled at her while a young girl came in after him with a tray laden with breakfast.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Grien asked in his usual cheerful manner.

"Slightly better." Sakura mumbled, missing his wide knowing grin.

"I'll give you another check up and then you can have your breakfast." Grien stated, moving closer to the bed.

Sakura nodded and let him do his simple diagnostic and when he pulled away she sat back up.

"What's the damage?" Sakura asked brightly.

"You'll need to remain in bed for the rest of the week, missy." Grien told her gently.

Sakura looked up sharply and when she realized he wasn't joking she looked down glumly, "Are you sure of this?"

Grien patted her hand, "I'm sorry, Sakura," Sakura had insisted that he not call her 'your highness', "but the abortion took a lot out of your body. If you want to be able to still have children in the future you must rest properly."

Sakura huffed and looked away, unable to fight the old healer.

"Have your breakfast. After Decila here will help you to the bath." Grien told her before moving towards the door.

"I can walk just fine, Grien. I don't need to be treated as if I were so fragile." Sakura informed him, a bit of annoyance seeping into her tone.

"If it were all the same, I would prefer if someone was with you at all times in case of any, how should I put it, emergencies occurred." He cheerfully smiled again before leaving.

Sakura knew exactly what sort of 'emergencies' he meant and they came in the form of a certain silver-haired, golden-eyed, bastard.

Decila moved forward with the tray of food with her head bowed low.

Sakura sighed, thinking that she would have to train this one, like Trina, to stop treating her with such overwhelming respect like if she were some almighty goddess.

The rest of the week went much like that day. Riina, Galen, and Rene came to visit her frequently. She had gotten Decila to look at her in the eye but it was still proving difficult to get her to stop calling her 'your highness'. The best part was that Riina had brought Xanthus to see her a couple of times. She was so happy to see him that she started crying again. But he wasn't as worried this time because she told him that they were 'happy tears'.

It would have been a rather pleasant couple of days if she didn't have to share every night with Azryal. She still refused to speak to him but it was getting harder and harder to ignore what her body wanted when he took his nightly bath and came to bed. He always seemed unaffected as he settled into bed without a mumbled 'goodnight'. She would never reply.

It took her a long time to fall asleep but whenever she would wake up, Azryal would already be gone.

Azryal tried hard to talk to her those couple of days but she never responded. So he took to just talking about his day and what he did, not expecting her to partake in the conversation.

She always listened but pretended to never be interested in what he said. Once, he even caught her rolling her eyes.

That morning after Grien had finished his daily diagnostic on her he pulled away with a bright smile. "You seem to be doing splendidly, Sakura. I think it will be alright if you started walking around, start building strength in your legs again."

Sakura had smiled just as brightly and thanked him profusely as he left. Decila brought her breakfast to her on a tray as usual but Sakura told her to pack it up, she would have her breakfast in the garden today.

Decila nodded happily and left the room to pack the breakfast for the Empress.

Sakura rolled off the bed excitedly and went into the bathroom to fill herself a bath. She didn't hear the bedroom door open nor Azryal's voice calling out to her. She slipped out of her nightgown, letting it drop to the tiles as she slowly walked into the swimming pool sized bath. She filled the water with her favorite jasmine scent and fully submerged her head beneath the water.

Just as she came up for air, her head thrown back due to the heavy weight of her wet hair, Azryal walked into the bath.

His sharp intake of breath startled her and she spun around to see Azryal standing there.

Her eyes widened and she swiftly submerged herself to her neck when she saw his golden eyes drop from her face.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked sternly.

He seemed to come back to himself and he stood a little straighter, "I heard from Grien that you had gotten better enough to walk around. I was hoping you would have breakfast with me in the garden."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat; this was another moment where Azryal proved to know her so well, reminding her how close they used to be. She ignored his proposition, uncomfortable with it and with him.

"You've been having Grien report to you?" Sakura asked, a bit of accusation in her tone.

"Of course I have. I wanted to make sure you were healing well." Azryal admitted, walking a little closer to the edge of the bath.

"Stay where you are!" Sakura ordered in a slight panic.

Azryal smiled at her, a small laugh escaping his lips as he squatted by the edge of the bath, "I'm not going to jump you."

Sakura was at the opposite end of the bath but she still felt unsafe with him so close. Her body was already heating up and tightening in very uncomfortable places. His smile wasn't helping any at all.

She looked away when she felt the traitorous blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks.

"Then please leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me an answer." Azryal stated playfully.

When she didn't answer him she heard footsteps and not long after he walked into her line of sight, right at the edge of the bath where she had situated herself.

She gasped when he squatted there, nearly an arm's length away.

"Sakura, I'm waiting." He teased.

She glared at him, "Fine, here's your answer! No! I'm having breakfast alone, up here!" She felt that it would be too childish to stick her tongue out at him so she resisted.

"Not good enough." He leaned back until he was sitting back on his rear with his legs bent in front of him, "I'm not leaving until you agree to have breakfast with me."

She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her, before waving a hand in the air in annoyance, "_Fine_, just this once. Now go!"

When Azryal didn't respond she looked at him and saw that he was glancing at her and then away. His hands were curled into fists and it was obvious that he was clenching his jaw. Then she realized to her horror that when she had crossed her arms, she had pushed up her bare breasts and they were now visible for his viewing.

"_Azryal!_" She squealed, forgetting to sound angry, as she dunked her body back into the water, splashing him a little.

He couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up from his throat, "It's not like I haven't seen them before." He reminded.

A fierce blush colored her cheeks but she had no feisty response for him.

He grinned at her before getting to his feet, "I'll see you in a little while then." He left the bathroom, and when he closed the door behind him the grin slid off his face and he leaned back against the door. He closed his eyes, his heart racing. He gripped the doorhandle behind him hard, wanting to whip the door open, march back into the bath and take her there now. He wanted to so bad. But it would destroy what little relationship they had right now, strange as it may be. She was his wife but he had betrayed her just as much as he had _thought_ she had betrayed him. He needed to build her trust for him again before he tried to move things further.

He loved her.

He had let himself forget how much so. And he was rudely being reminded at a dangerously fast pace. It wasn't just her body that he craved, but her companionship, her witty intellect, her friendship, and so much more. Also, he missed watching her be a mother to their son, he ached for their family to be healed.

If he could he would raise Radek back from the dead just to kill him viciously again for ruining everything.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when the servant entered the room and bowed hastily to him. He barely acknowledged her as he pushed off the door and hurried from the room.

* * *

Azryal was already waiting for Sakura as she came down to the garden for breakfast after her bath.

He was seated at a white stone table under a shady tree with rosebushes surrounding it. Sakura followed the stone cobbled path to the 'romantic' area and didn't return the smile that Azryal gave her as he stood to help her in her seat.

She was wearing a light, flowy white dress that reached just above her knees. Tan sandals that tied all the way to mid-calf completed her outfit. Her hair was done in a simple side bun that left long tendrils to come down her side. She started to leave off any jewelry or extravagant hairdos, seeing no point in dressing up so much everyday.

She took her seat and watched as Azryal took his across from her. Breakfast was already laid out on the table and she eyed the fresh fruit, contemplating which one to pop into her mouth first when Azryal spoke.

"Sakura, we really need to talk."

She looked up, noticing that all the servants had returned to the palace leaving them in privacy.

She leaned back in her seat to stare him in the face.

"What's left to talk about?" She asked stubbornly.

A determined light flashed through his eyes, "We can't keep going on as we are. Please, accept my apology."

She took a bright red strawberry and bit into it, the sweet flesh filling her mouth. She chewed slowly, the fruit still pressed to her lips as she raised her eyes to meet his. When she swallowed, she devoured the rest of it and licked her lips before replying, "What would have happened if I hadn't almost died, I wonder?" She looked at him expectantly.

Azryal's features became guarded, "What do you mean?"

"Well, would you be here right now, begging for my forgiveness if I hadn't almost died?" At his lack of response she continued harshly, "No. You wouldn't. You would still be harboring a grudge against me, fine to leave me to suffer until I decided that I had enough and grant you a divorce or kill myself; whichever came first."

"That's not true!" Azryal countered firmly, slamming his fist on the table and sending the dishes rattling. "I never wanted to divorce you or for you to kill yourself! I always believed we would get back together, just that it would take a while before I could forgive you. I didn't know the details of what happened until you told me again the other night." Azryal finished a little less strongly.

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Azryal, that's not good enough."

"What do you want me to do? Tell me and I will do it! Anything for you to forgive me!" Azryal exclaimed, his eyes boring into hers.

Sakura opened her mouth to respond but came up short. What did she want from him? Before she had known she was pregnant all she had wanted was for them to be back together, for him to _look_ at her and love her like he used to. She didn't want to punish and belittle him until he felt half as bad as she had.

She raised her eyes to meet his before looking away, all her anger dissipating instantly.

"Sakura?" Azryal prodded.

She looked back up at him quickly and couldn't help the shy smile that pulled at her lips. Azryal's eyes widened when he saw her smiling and he met her eyes again in disbelief.

"I want us back together." Sakura stated firmly, nodding her head once.

Still not believing this was happening, Azryal answered cautiously, "Then lets get back together."

"But give it some time." Sakura added coyly.

"Time for what?"

"I want to take it slow."

"For _what_?"

Sakura glared slightly at Azryal, "Because I'm still upset with you for treating me like _dirt_, that's why!"

Azryal's mouth shut closed quickly and he nodded understandingly, "Take as much time as you need, no rush."

Breakfast went much more smoothly after that.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Azryal returned to his daily duties as Emperor while Sakura went to visit Xanthus. She had a feeling that Azryal had quite a serious talk with Xanthus's tutors because they were a lot more polite and accommodating with her. There were also new guards, and they were much more nicer.

That night came all to quickly and Sakura soon found herself in her sheer nightdress, fresh from her bath and settled on the pouf in the bedroom to brush her hair. Not a minute after she had put down the brush did the door swing open slowly and Azryal came in. He looked startled to see her sitting there and he smiled at her.

She returned the smile with a small one before looking back at the mirror, wondering if she should pick up the brush again to avoid looking at him.

Her heart sped up when she heard his clear footsteps growing closer until they stopped beside her pouf.

"Sakura." Azryal started.

She glanced up to meet his eyes and had to hold back a gasp at the intense expression in his eyes, darker than they usually were.

"Yes?" She was quite proud that she didn't sound hesitant at all.

"Would you allow me to-"

Sakura cut him off by standing suddenly and moving to the other side of the pouf so it was between them. She knew exactly where he was going with this and she didn't think she could handle it. If he touched her now she would turn to goop and fall right into him, all her resistance would be gone.

A treacherous voice in the back of her mind asked if that was such a bad thing. She quickly stifled it.

"Sakura, I won't hurt you." Azryal stated cautiously.

"Won't you?" She mumbled darkly, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Azryal felt a flash of guilt run through him and he squashed it down before moving around the pouf and reaching for her arm. He gently grasped her chin and turned her face up to stare at him.

She could already feel her knees growing weak as she raised her eyes past his luscious lips to meet his dark amber orbs.

He heard his name fall from her lips and that was his undoing. He crushed his lips to hers and swallowed her gasp of surprise. Pressing her against the edge of her vanity, Azryal deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her warm mouth and feeling hers meet his immediately.

He cupped the back of her head, tilting her head up at the right angle to kiss her thoroughly as his other hand slid down her side, past her breast to grasp her hip and pull her flush against him. When she arched her back to press fully into him he slid his hand down farther and with a grunt lifted her leg to hook around his hip. She was now practically sitting on her vanity, with her arms wrapped around Azryal's neck, eating away at his face.

Not too long after they broke apart for air and Azryal pressed hot kissed down her neck to suck at the junction between her neck and shoulder. She gasped at the pressure and tilted her head for better access. She had her hands buried in his hair as he continued his trail of kisses, licking and sucking as he tugged down her dress so the sleeves were around her arms. He sucked at her breast through the sheer material of the dress and she gasped again in pleasure, arching her back and throwing her head back like a harlot.

Meanwhile, Azryal's hand had been making its smooth way down to slip under the edge of her dress where his forefinger pressed directly against her clit through her undergarments. She snapped her head up when she felt him slip under it to sink into her. He pumped his finger slowly, as he moved to suckle her other breast through her dress. When he began to move faster she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as she bucked her hips slightly into his hand.

Azryal grinned against her breast before moving back up to kiss her again. He sped up his movements until she was bucking more wildly.

When a second finger entered her she felt the familiar, delicious feeling of an approaching orgasm. She felt it creeping up slowly and as it crested, her moans matched the wave upon wave of pleasure that washed over her.

She slumped back, her muscles pulsing, to lean against the mirror as Azryal withdrew his fingers from her. Her leg was still slung around him loosely. He caught her gaze and held it as he slowly raised his hand to lick off her juices from his fingers. She blushed deeply and he kissed her again so she would taste herself on his tongue.

"I've waited so long to taste you again." He whispered huskily against her lips.

She didn't answer him, instead she pulled him in for another kiss and as it grew more heated, Azryal ground his hips into her and Sakura felt his hard member pressing into her.

When she reached down to touch him, he jerked back.

She looked up at him quizzically and was surprised to see him shake his head at her.

"Not yet." He ground out.

"Why?" She asked, confused.

"Take it slowly, remember?" He grinned down at her as she visibly cursed her earlier statement.

He kissed her one last time before pulling away and heading to the bathroom without a backward glance.

Sakura watched him leave in disappointment before heading to bed.

Azryal took _much longer_ than he usually did that night and Sakura was asleep before he came back out.

* * *

The next couple of days they didn't see much of each other. And the way Sakura felt about it confused her greatly; she was glad that she didn't have to face him much after that night on her vanity while a deeper side of her was anxious to see him and to see how far they would go next time.

Next time, she thought, wouldn't be that far off. She had a feeling.

She didn't really have a chance to dwell on it much because each day she would keep running into Kyston. He would appear around when she was with Riina and Galen or Rene. He would try to catch her eye but she would purposefully avoid it.

Much to her annoyance, he didn't give up and at that very moment she was watching him walk down the path that led to where she was sitting alone under her favorite camphor tree.

Riina had gone off to get Xanthus, promising him the day before that she would rescue him from his evening lessons and she felt like she shouldn't let him down. Hopefully, she would return soon because Kyston was now standing over her awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked harshly.

Kyston's eyebrows furrowed and he sat down heavily next to her. She glared ahead of her, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Sakura, I don't know where to begin." Kyston started, his tone already hopeless. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, nor your friendship. I'm a jealous fool, that's what."

Sakura's glare faltered at his tone and she glanced at him. He wasn't looking at her, but was staring hard at the grass.

"Kyston, don't-"

But she was cut off, "Let me finish, please."

Sakura shut her mouth, nodding once.

"I was a jealous fool, I still am. You told me everything right from the start and I _heard_ what you said, unlike Azryal who ignored you completely. I knew you only went to Radek once and that even still it was unwillingly in a way. You did it all to save Azryal and Xanthus and in turn, save Saarik. Hell, you even saved mine and Rene's life while you were at it." He huffed loudly before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is that I was set into a jealous rage at the thought that you were with that undeserving bastard when I had to step aside and let Azryal snatch you from me. I felt like my love for you was sullied when he-" Kyston was cut off when his voice gave out, so strong were his emotions that he had to stop.

When he gathered himself together and opened his mouth to continue, Sakura put her hand up to stop him.

"Sakura, let me finish."

"No, I've heard enough, Kyston." She softened her hard words with a small smile directed at him, causing his eyes to widen greatly. "I admit I was furious with you for not being there for me when I needed you most. I couldn't believe that you would turn your back on me. But I can understand. I don't want to hear you apologizing. We all did some horrible things during this past war and I'm quite glad to put it all behind us."

Her words were met with silence. Kyston was studying her face as she looked straight ahead.

"I'm assuming your bright outlook came about after you and Azryal got back together." Kyston guessed correctly.

Sakura looked at him in surprise and grinned, "You and Azryal really don't keep much from each other, do you? You're like a couple of school girls, I swear."

Kyston grinned back, a little of the tension ebbing away.

"I don't deserve your friendship. You're too kindhearted, Sakura." Kyston stated in awe.

Sakura grinned even wider, "Don't get too used to it. Mess up again and I'll castrate you."

Kyston laughed abruptly, and Sakura soon joined in.

They were chatting a little more easily as Riina returned with Xanthus, both looking incredibly surprised at the pair of them but infinitely pleased that everyone was coming back together.

* * *

That night Sakura waited for Azryal, already bathed and brushed. She was wearing a light night dress again, a soft coral color that was one of her favorites. Her hair was in a loose braid down her side and she kept pulling on the edge anxiously. She was out on the balcony, staring up at the moon. It was really late in the night when she heard the door scrape against the tiles. She spun around and saw Azryal slip in quietly, thinking she was asleep.

When he saw that the bed was empty he looked towards the bathroom.

Sakura pushed aside the sheer curtains that were over the balcony entrance and came into the room, "You're in late, again." She remarked.

Azryal stopped dead in his tracks, the door behind him sliding shut with a heavy _thud_. She was pleased to see his eyes rove down her body and back up again. She knew the light from the moon outlined her form through the thin material of her dress.

He straightened a little before responding, "Yes. We're about to settle the arrangements with the other kingdoms soon, so the meetings have been nonstop. What are you still doing up?" He asked nonchalantly as he walked farther into the room, heading for a little round table where a pitcher of water and two crystal glasses were laid out. He poured himself a glass and took a swig, downing the whole glass in one go.

"I was waiting for you." Even to _her_ ears she sounded seductive.

Azryal choked a little on the last bit of water and he coughed into his hand before looking at her incredulously. "What for?"

She smiled slowly as she made her way to him. His eyes didn't leave hers to run over her body despite the enticing sway of her hips and that was only due to sheer will. He shakily set down the empty glass as she stopped right in front of him.

Just like her he was craving it, she knew. It had been so long! She moved closer to him so their bodies just brushed against each other ever so slightly. She ran her eyes up his chest to stare him in the eyes. His fingers twitched, impatient to touch her.

"Screw taking it slowly. I'm tired and despite how angry I've been with you, Azryal, I've missed you so much." She admitted, surprised to feel her eyes become watery.

Azryal smiled sadly before reaching up to cup her cheeks, "I've missed you too, Sakura. But I know you must have had it harder than I did, after all I was frozen in a crystal for most of it." He joked darkly causing a light laugh to escape her lips. Azryal's eyes were drawn to her mouth and he couldn't wait any longer; he dipped his head and captured her lips in a heated kiss.

She melted against him instantly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their tongues danced together as they opened their mouths for the other and Azryal's arms wrapped around her tightly, pressing her to him firmly.

Sakura moaned into his mouth and all control fell away as Azryal suddenly lifted Sakura. She squealed against his face and wrapped her legs around his waist, another laugh filling the air. He grinned up at her and she kissed him again as he made his way back to the bed. They tumbled onto it in a tangle of limbs and sloppy kisses.

Their clothes were off within seconds and Azryal was already kissing his way down her body to the junction between her legs. Her stomach was fluttering in anticipation and she was already moaning as he spread her legs slowly. He looked up to meet her gaze before he dipped his tongue into her. She flung her head back, her hands running through her hair as he languidly licked her clit, tasting her juices.

When she felt that oh-so-wonderful feeling of an approaching orgasm she started to inadvertently buck her hips against his face. His licks came faster and she thrashed her head as it crested and slowly tumbled over in waves of pleasure. She was moaning his name as it pulsed through her and Azryal gladly licked up her juices, feeling her muscles pulsing against his tongue. He then made his way back up her body, kissing and nipping at different points before settling over her. He grinned down at her before kissing her passionately.

When they pulled away gasping, he mumbled against her neck, "I've missed that little part of you." At her laugh he smacked his lips before kissing her again.

He stilled when he felt her hand snaking its way down _his_ body and he stopped her.

"What's wrong?" She asked in confusion.

"It's been so long, I'm warning you I won't be able to, ah, last long." Azryal admitted, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

Sakura threw her head back and laughed, much to Azryal's chagrin. He glared at her slightly and she immediately shut her mouth when she noticed. She pecked him on the lips, "Let me help you out, your highness." She grinned mischievously as she made him lean back flat on his back and she kissed and licked her way down his taut body.

He bit his lip when she came level with his hard member. She eyed it before licking the tip playfully. It jerked and she smirked at him before taking the head fully into her warm mouth. Azryal gasped at the sensation and his head fell back against the sheets as she took more of him into her mouth until he was pushing against the back of her throat. He was reminded of how skillful she had gotten after they were married, barely gagging when she took all of him into her mouth like she was doing now. He had to resist with all his willpower not to buck into her mouth but when she started moving up and down, her saliva coating him, he found it very difficult. When she sped up her actions and a hand came up to fondle his sack, he felt his climax fast approaching. He grabbed her head to pull her away but she resisted and he bucked into her mouth as he felt his release. She swallowed every last salty bit of him and as she pulled away, she licked his tip before smacking her lips at him much like he had.

He laid his head back panting as she crawled up his body. She kissed him as she laid on top of him, straddling him. Her lips moved lazily against his and he could feel her splayed center against his skin, wet and hot. She rotated her hips against his abdomen, practically gyrating against him and he felt himself hardening not too long after. He groaned out her name when she moved to position herself over him.

She met his eyes, dark with lust and passion. She smiled at him, pulling him into another kiss as she slid onto him slowly. The way she moved on him was slow and languid, more private and seductive than their passionate, wild lovemaking. He bucked his hips up to meet her, thrust for each slow thrust. His fingers were gripping her hips when he couldn't hold it in any longer and he flipped them, lifting her legs to wrap around his hips. He thrust into her hard and deep, gaining gasps of pleasure from her lips. He sped it up and soon her gasps were loud moans and her head was thrown back. He pressed his face into her neck as he felt her muscles tightening around him and soon her climax was washing over her. It didn't take him much long after for his seed to be emptied into her.

He fell on top of her, panting and sweaty. When he met her eyes they both grinned at each other before Azryal rolled them over so she was on top and he wouldn't crush her. He didn't withdraw from within her as she folded against his chest, pressing light kisses to him.

* * *

Things became better almost tenfold for Sakura after that night. She was on talking terms with everyone she cared about and loved. The days passed by happily and eventful. Celebrations were now officially thrown for the defeat of Radek, and the new alliances that were made. Shortly after Riina and Galen got married. Rene had finally grudgingly accepted their relationship and stepped aside to let Galen date his baby sister. He had become much more happier when they announced their wedding, finally believing them to be serious about the other. Sakura was back to being a very powerful and influential Empress. She was influencing Azryal's decisions and ideas almost as much as she had before Radek had shown up, probably even more.

Xanthus was growing up to be strong and intelligent. He was nearly inseparable from Sakura and he now sided with her more often than Azryal, which he grumpily accepted.

And nearly half a year after the defeat of Radek, Sakura became pregnant again.

The pink-haired Empress looked down at the little girl sleeping on her lap. She ran her slender fingers through her daughter's pastel pink locks, a content smile on her lips.

"Mom! The twins won't stop following me!"

Sakura looked up to see a ten year old Xanthus rush out of the palace in a huff with two little red-haired toddlers following him. They were giggling loudly and couldn't seem to stop.

Sakura hid a smile at Xanthus's annoyance as he ran up to her and motioned to the twins. Sakura straightened and addressed the twins; a boy and a girl.

"Kais and Kaiya! What are the two of you up to?" Her sternness was ruined when she gushed the last part and Xanthus glared at her as the twins giggled and waddled up to her to hug her legs.

When they looked up, Sakura couldn't help admiring their matching forest-green eyes.

All the giggling seemed to wake the sleeping toddler in her lap and soon, big amber eyes were blinking up at her sleepily. Siran, only five, sat up and gazed up at her older brother who had taken a seat next to his mother and sister and who was still glowering at the excitable twins.

When he noticed his sister staring at him, Xanthus's face softened and he smiled at her.

"Have a nice nap, Siran-chan?" Xanthus asked.

Kais, the boy twin, turned to Xanthus in adoration and quickly repeated what he said, "Have a nice nap...Siran-chan?" He hesitated to add the -chan, seeing as how he and Siran were the same age.

Xanthus's annoyance returned and not even Siran's giggles could stop him from complaining again to his mother.

Sakura had no chance to respond as Riina came through the doors. When the twins spotted their mother they started squealing and skirted off towards her to grasp at her legs for her attention, much to Xanthus's relief.

The rest of the day was spent in leisure and when the Saadhia and the Emperor himself joined them later for dinner and Sakura stared around her she couldn't help be eternally grateful for the life she had fought for and the family she had created with the greatest man she ever met.

* * *

**Aaaaand that's all folks! Thank you so much for sticking around with this story for so long! I started this in 2007! Four years I've been dreaming up the world of Saarik! Thank you all for sharing this with me and enjoying it so much as well!**

**And just as a sidenote, keep an eye out for any future stories or chapters. I'm in love with my OC's and I might dedicate a story to them or even new chapters. But for now, consider this fic complete! **

**I hope you liked the ending! Please review and let me know what you thought as you read it and anything you wished could have happened! Love you guys! Hopefully, I will see your reviews in the future for other stories! **

**yuru**


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